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THE MIDSHIPMAN 


MARMADUKE MERRY. 


BY WILLIAM H. G. KINGSTON. 

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The Midshipman, Marmaduke Merry. 


CHAPTER I. 

I BELONG to the family of the Merrys of Leicestershire. 
Our chief characteristic was well suited to our patronymic. 

Merry by name and merry by nature was the common 
saying among us. Indeed, a more good-natured, laughing, 
happy set of people it would be difficult to find. Right jo- 
vial was the rattle of tongues and the cachinnation which 
went forward whenever we were assembled together either 
at breakfast or dinner or supper; our father and mother 
setting us the example, so that we began the day with a 
hearty laugh and finished it with a heartier. Laugh and 
grow fat " is ah apothegm which all people can not follow, 
but our mother did in the most satisfactory manner. Her 
skin was fair and most thoroughly comfortably filled out; 
her hair was light, and her contented spirit beamed out 
from a pair of large laughing blue eyes, so that it was a 
pleasure to look at her, as she sat at the head of the table, 
serving out the viands to her hungry progeny. Our sisters 
were very like her, and came fairly under the denomination 
of jolly girls, and thoroughly jolly they were — none of them 
ever had a headache or a tooth-ache or any other ache that 
I know of. Our father was a good specimen of a thorough 
English country gentleman; he was thorough in everything, 
honest-faced, stout, and hearty, not overrefiued, perhaps, 
but yet gentle in all his thoughts and acts; a hater of a lie 
and everything dishonorable; hospitable and generous to 
the utmost of his means; a protector of the poor and help- 
less, and a friend to all his neighbors. Yes, and I may say 
more, both he and my mother were humble sincere Chris- 
tians, and made the law of the Bible their rule of life. He 
told a good story and laughed at it himself, and delighted 
to see our mother and us laugh at it also. Had he been 
bred a lawyer, and lived in London, he would have been 


6 


THj: MIDSHIPMAN. 


looked upon as a first-rate wit; but I am certain that he 
was much happier with the lot awarded to him. He had a 
good estate, his tenants paid their rents regularly; and he 
had few or no cares to disturb his digestion or to keep him 
awake at night : and I am very certain that he would far 
rather have us to hear his jokes, and laugh at them with 
him, than all the wits London ever produced. He delighted 
in joining in all our sports, either of the field or flood, and 
we always looked forward to certain amuseifient when he was 
able to accompany us. He was our companion and friend; 
we had no secrets from him — why should we? He was al- 
ways our best adviser, and if we got into scrapes, which 
one or the other of us was not unfrequently doing, we were 
very certain that no one could extricate us as well as he 
could. I don^t mean to say that he forgot the proverb. 

Spare the rod, spoil the child or that we were such 
pieces of perfection that we did not deserve punishment; 
but we had sense enough to see that he punished us for our 
good; he did it calmly, never angrily, and without any un- 
necessarily severe remark, and we certainly did not love 
him the less for the sharpest flogging he ever gave us. Di- 
rectly afterward he would meet the culprit in his usual 
frank, hearty way, and seem to forget all about the matter. 

Our sisters were on the same happy intimate terms with 
our mother, and we boys had no secrets with her, or with 
them either. 

Our father used to believe and assert that our family had 
settled in Leicestershire before the Conquest, and, in conse- 
quence of this notion, he gave us all old English names or 
what he supposed to be such. His own name was Joliffe, 
and he used to be called by his hunting associates, the other 
gentlemen of the county. Jolly Merry. He was not, I 
should say, excellence a fox-hunter, though he sub- 
scribed to the county hunt, and frequently followed the 
hounds; and no one rode better, nor did any one^s voice 
sound more cheerily on copse or hill-side than did his, as he 
greeted a friend, or sung out, in the exuberance of his 
spirits, a loud tallyho-ho. My name stood sixth in the family 
Bible, and that of Marmaduke had fallen to my lot. 
AVe had a Cedric, an Athelstane, an Egbert, and an Edwin 
among the boys, and a Bertha, an Edith, and a AA^innifred 
among the girls. AVe all went to school in our turns, but 
fliough it was a very good school, we did not like it so much 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


7 


as home. When, however, we got to school, we used to be 
very jolly, and if other boys pulled long faces we made 
round ones and laughed away as usual. Our school was in 
Northamptonshire, so that we had not far to go, and we 
kept up a very frequent correspondence with home, from 
which, in consequence of its vicinity, we received more 
hampers laden with cakes and tongues, and pots of jam, 
and similar comestible articles, than most of our compan- 
ions. I do not say that we should not otherwise have been 
favorites, but it might have been remarked that the atten- 
tions and willingness to oblige us of our companions in- 
creased in proportion to the size of our hampers, and our 
readiness to dispense their contents. 

However, I will not dwell on my school life. I imbibed 
a certain amount of classical and elementary knowledge of 
a somewhat miscellaneous description, and received not a 
few canings, generally for laughing in my class at some- 
thing which tickled my fancy, when I ought not to have al- 
lowed my fancy to be tickled; but altogether my conduct 
was such that I believe I was considered to have brought 
no discredit on the Merry name or fame. Such was my 
uneventful career at school. 

We were all at home for the summer holidays. We were 
seated at breakfast. What a rattle of tongues, and knives, 
and forks, and cups, and saucers there was going on. What 
vast slices of bread and butter were disappearing within our 
well-practiced jaws. Various cries proceeded from each 
side of the table. Bertha, another cup of tea.^"" Bertha, 
some more milk. Bertha, you haven’t given me sugar 

enough by half.” Bertha, I like strong tea; no wish- 
wash for me. ” 

Bertha was our oldest sister and tea-maker-general. She 
had no sinecure office of it; but, in spite often of the most 
unreasonable demands, she dispensed the beverage with the 
most perfect justice and good-humor. Not unsatisfactory 
were the visits paid to the sideboard cbvered as it was with 
brawn, and ham, and tongue, and a piece of cold beef, and 
such like substantial fare. 

Suddenly the tenor of our conversation was turned by 
the entrance of the servant with the post-bag. The elders 
were silent for a few minutes — our father and mother and 
Bertha, and Cedric, who was a^ home from college. Our 
mother had a large circle of correspondents, and seldom a 


8 


TTTT: MIBSHTPAfAN’. 


post arrived without a letter for her. Our father had few'er; 
but this morning he received one in a large official-looking 
cover, which absorbed his attention. Still the 'clatter of 
tongues went on among us younger ones. Our father and 
mother had grown so accustomed to it, that, as the miller 
awakes when his mill stops, so they would have looked up 
to ascertain what was the matter had we been silent. 

Which of you would like to become a midshipman 
asked our father, looking up suddenly. 

The question had an elfect rarely produced in the family. 
We were all silent. Our mother put down her letters, and 
her fond eyes glanced round on our faces. Her counte- 
nance was unusually grave. 

Again my father looked at the document m his hand. 

Captain Collyer says he should not be more than fourteen. 
Marmaduke, that is your age. What do you say on the sub- 
said my father. 

Joliffe, what is it all about?” asked my mother, with a 
slight trepidation in her voice. 

I forgot that I had • not read the letter. It is rather 
long. It is from my old friend, Dick Collyer, and a better 
fellow does not breathe. The tenor of it is that he has got 
command of the frigate, ^ The Doris,^ fitting with all dis- 
patch for sea, and that he will take one of our boys as a 
midshipman, if we like to send the youngster with him. 
There is no time to lose, as he expects to be ready in a week 
or ten days; so we must decide at once.” 

The question was put indirectly to me, Should I like 
to go to sea?” Now, I had never even seen the sea, and had 
never realized what a man-of-war was like. The largest 
floating thing to which I was accustomed was the miller^’s 
punt, in which my brothers and I used occasionally to pad- 
pie about on the mill-pond; in which mill-pond, by the 
bye, w^e had all learned to swim. I had seen pictures of 
ships; though as to the size of one, and the number of men 
she might carry, I w^as profoundly ignorant. I was, there- 
fore, not very well qualified to come to a decision. Sud- 
denly I recollected a visit paid to us by Tom AVelhy, an old 
school-fellow, after his first trip to sea, and what a jolly life 
I thought he must lead as he described his adventures, and 
how fine a fellow he looked as he strutted about with dirk 
at his side, the white patch on his collar, and the cockade 


THE MIDSHIPMAK. 


9 


in his hat. I decided at once. If you wish it, father,. I^m 
ready to go,^^ said I. 

My father looked at me affectionately. There was, I am 
certain, a conflict going on in his mind whether or not he 
should part with me; but prudence conquered love. 

course, you must all have professions, boys, and the 
navy is a very fine one,^'’ he observed. What do you say*, 
Mary?” 

My mother was too sensible a woman to make any objec- 
tions to so promising an offer if I did not; and therefore, 
before we rose from the breakfast-table, it was settled that 
I was to be a midshipman, and we were all soon laughing 
away as heartily as ever. The news that Master Marma- 
duke was going away to sea quickly reached- the servants'’ 
hall, and from thence spread over the village. 

Not a moment was lost by our mother in commencing the 
preparations for my outfit. Stores of calico were produced, 
and she and Bertha had cut out a set of shirts and distrib- " 
uted them to be made before noon. While they were thus ' 
employed, I went down to have a talk with my father, and"^ 
to have my ignorance on nautical affairs somewhat enlight- 
ened, though he, I found, knew very little more about them - 
than I did. While I was in the study the footman came to 
say that Widow Bluff wished to see him. Let her come 
in,” was his reply. Well, dame, what is it you want this 
morning?” he asked, in his cheery, encouraging tone as she 
appeared. 

Why, sir, I hears how Master Marmaduke^s going aw^ly 
te sea, and I comes to ask if he’ll take my boy Toby wi’ 
him,” answered the dame, promptly. 

What, Mrs. Bluff, do you wish him to be an officer?” 
said my father. 

Blessy no, sir. It’s to be his servant like. I suppose 
he’ll want some one to clean his shoes and brush his clothes, 
and such little things, and I’d be proud for my Toby to do 
that,” answered the dame. Now, I had always thought 
Toby Bluff to be a remarkably dunderheaded, loutish fel- 
low, though strong as a lion, and with plenty of pluck in 
his composition. I had helped him out of a pond once, 
and done him some other little service, I fancy; but I had 
forgotten all about the matter. I will see about it, dame,” 
said my father. But I doubt if Toby, though a good lad, 
will ever set the Thames on fire.” 


10 


THE M1DSHIP]\IAN. 


^^Blessy lieai% I hopes not/^ exclaimed the dame, in 'a 
tone of horror. He^d be a hanged, if he did, like them 
as burned Farmer Dobbses corn-stacks last year. 

Toby, it appeared, was waiting outside. My father gent 
for him, and found that he really had a very strong desire 
to go to sea, or rather to follow me. Toby had an honest 
.round freckled coun^nance, with large hands and broad 
shoulders, but a slouching awkward gait, which made him 
look far less intelligent than he really was. As he had al- 
ways borne a good character, my father promised to learn 
if Captain Collyer would take him. The answer was in the 
affirmative. Behold, then, Toby Bluff and I about to com- 
mence our career on the briny ocean. 

I tried to laugh to the last; but somehow m* other it was 
a harder job than I had ever found it; and as to my mother 
and sisters, though they said a number, oi funny things, 
there was a moisture in their eyes and a tremulousness in 
their voices very unusual with them. Toby Bluff, as he 
scrambled up on the box of the chaise, which was to take 
^ us to meet the London coach, blubbered out with a vehe- 
mence which spoke more for the sensitiveness of his feelings 
tlum for his sense of the dignified; but when his mother, 
equally evercome, exclaimed, Get down, Toby; Ifil not 
have thee go, boy, an thou takest on so,"*^ he answered 
sturdily. Noa, noa, mother; IVe said IM stick to Measter 
Marmaduke, and if he goes, Ifil go to look after him.” 

My brothers cheered and shouted as we drove off, and I 
did my best to shout and cheer in return, as did Toby, in 
spite of his tears. My father accompanied us as far a& 
London. We spent but a few hours in that big city. 

I donT see that it be so very grand like,” observed Toby 
as we drove through it. There bees no streets paved with 
gold, and no lord mayor in a gold coach — only bricks and 
mortar and people running about in a precious hurry.” 

Captain Collyer had desired that I should come down by 
the coach to the George at Portsmouth, where he would 
send his cockswain to meet me, and take me to the tailor, 
who would make my uniform — a part of my outfit which 
our country town had been unable to supply. 

It was a bright summer morning when my father ac- 
companied us to Piccadilly, whence the Portsmouth coach 
started. 

Cheer up, and don’t forget your name, Marmaduke,” 


THE MIBSHTPMAH. 


11 


lie said, wringing ‘my hand as I was climbing on the front 
seat. He nodded kindly to Toby, who followed me closely. 
“ DonH you forget to look after the young master, buy,^^ 
he added^ 

Noa, squire, while I^s got fists at the end of my arms, 
I won%^^ answered. Toby. 

All. right, shouted the guard, and the coach drove ^ 
off. 

I found myself seated by a tall man with a huge red 
nose, like the beak of an eagle, a copper complexion, jet- 
black piercing eyes, and enormous black bushy whiskers. 
He looked down at me, I thought, with ineffable contempt. 
His clothes were of blue cloth, and his hands, which were 
very large and hairy, were marked on the back with strange 
devices, amon^ which I observed an anchor, a ship, and a 
fish, which made me suspect that he must be a nautical 
character of some sort. He addressed the coachman and 
the passenger on the box-seat several times in a wonderfully 
loud gruff voice, but as they showed by their answers that 
they were not inclined to enter into conversation with him, 
he at last turned his attention to me. 

Why are you going down to Portsmouth, little boy?” 
he asked, in a tone I did not like. 

I suppose because I want to get there, I answered. 

^^Ho! ho! ho!” His laugh was like the bellowing of ^a ^ 
bull. Going to sea, I fancy,” he remarked. 

Yes, going to see Portsmouth,” said quietly, ^^if I 
keep my eyes open.” - 

^^Ho!ho! sharp as a needle, I see,” observed the big' 
man. 

Sharpness runs in the family,” I replied. We were 
well up to this sort of repartee among each other at home. 

Your name is Sharp, I suppose,” said my friend. 

No, only my nature, like a currant or a sour goose- 
berry,” I replied, not able to help laughing myself. 

Take care, youngster, you donT get wounded with your 
own weapon,” said the big man. 

Thank you,” I answered, ^^but I am not a tailor.” 

— ho, ho,. ho — perhaps not; hut you are little more 
than the ninth part of a man,” said the giant. 

^^The ninth part of you, you mean; but I am half as 
big as most men now, and hope to be a whole man some 
day, and a captain into the bargain. ” 


12 


THE ]\I.£DSHIPMAH. 


Then I take it you are that important character, anew- 
fledged midshipman/^ observed my huge companion. 

‘^Judging of you by your size, I should sujDpose on the 
same grounds that you are nothing less than an admiral,'’^ 
I retorted. 

should be, if I had my deserts, boy,"^ he replied, 
drawing himself up, and swelling out his chest. 

Then are you only a captain?'^ I asked, 
once was, boy,^^ he replied, with a sigh which resem- 
bled the rumbling of a volcano. 

Captain of the main-top,^^ said the gentleman on the 
box, without turning round. 

What are you now, then?'’^ I asked. 

A boatswain, uttered the gentleman on the box. 

Yes, young gentleman, as our friend there says, I am 
a boatswain, he exclaimed in a voice of thunder, and a 
very important person is a boatswain on board ship, let me 
tell you, with his call at his mouth, and colt in his hand, 
as your silent companion there will very soon find out, for 
I presume, by the cut of his jib, that he is not a midship- 
man. 

And what is a boatswain on board ship?^^ I asked, with 
unfeigned simplicity. 

Everything from truck to kelson, I may sa}^, is under 
his charge, he replied consequentially. He has to look 
after masts, spars, rigging, sails, cables, anchors, and 
stores; to see that the men are kept under proper disci- 
pline, and make them smart aloft. In my opinion a man- 
of-war might do without her captain and lieutenants, but 
would be no man-of-war without her boatswain.” 

The gentleman on the box laughed outright, but the 
boatswain took no notice of it. I began to think, in spite 
of his coarseness, that he must be a very important person- 
age, and probably I showed this in my manner, for he went 
on enlarging on his own importance. 

I tell you, young gentleman, it^s my belief that I have 
been round the world oftener, and seen more strange sights, 
than any man living. ” 

I should like to hear some of your adventures,” I said. 

I dare say you would, and if you like to pay me a visit 
on board the ^ Doris ^ frigate, and will inquire for Mr. Jon- 
athan Johnson, the boatswain, I shall be happy to see 
you, and to enlighten your mind a little.” 


THE MIDSHIPMAN.. 


13 


What, that is the ship I am going to join/^ I ex- 
claimed; ^^didn^t Captain Collyer tell yoii?’^ 

No, he has not as yet communicated that important 
matter to me,^ answered Mr. Jonathan Johnson, twisting 
his huge nose in a comical way. But give us your flip- 
per, my hearty — we are to be shipmates, it seems. I like 
you for your dauntless tongue; if youNe a spirit to match, 
youJl do, and I promise you that you shall some day hear 
what you shall hear.” 

The coach stopped at the George. A seaman, who an- 
nounced himself as Sam Edkins, Captain Collyer^s cock- 
swain, came up, and touching his hat respectfully to Mr. 
Johnson, helped me olf the coach. 

Well, Edkins, have all the officers joined yet?” asked 
the boatswain. 

All but the second lieutenant; he is expected aboard 
to-day, sir,” was the answer. 

What^s his name, Edkins? I hope he^s not a King^s 
hard bargain, like some lieutenants I have fallen in with, 
within the last hundred years,” said Mr. Johnson. 

No, sir; he^s no hard bargain,” answered Edkins. I 
heard the captain say his name is Bryan, the same officer 
who, with twenty hands, cut out a French brig of seven 
guns and’ ninety men the other day in the West Indies.” 

All right; Wll do for us,” observed Mr. Johnson, with 
a patronizing air. By the bye, Edkins, have you re- 
ceived any directions about this boy?” 

^^No, sir; only that he was to go on board at once.” 

Very well, then, Fll take him. Come, youngster — 
what^s your name?” 

Please, sir, it be Tobias Bluff; but I be called Toby 
most times,” answered my young follower, evidently awe- 
struck with the manner and appearance of Mr. Johnson. 
Not an inch did he move, however, from my side. 

Come along, boy, T cried the boatswain in a thundering 
tone which might have been heard half down the High 
street. 

Noa,” said Toby, looking up undauntedly at him: 
has a said IM stick to the young squire, and IJl no budge 
from his side, no, not if you bellows louder than Farmer 
Dobbses big bull. ” 

Never had the boatswain been thus bearded by a ship^s 
boy. His black eyes flashed fire — his nose grew redder than 


14 


THE WIDSHIPMAH. 


ever, and seizing him by the collar of his jacket, he would 
have carried him off in his talons, as an eagle does a leveret, 
had not Edkins and I interfered. 

You see, Mr. Johnson, the boy has the hayseed in his 
hair, and doesn^t know who you are, or anything about 
naval discipline,” observed the cockswain. If you^d let 
him stay with the young gentleman. 111 just put him up 
to a thing or two, and bring him aboard by and by.” 

Mr. Johnson, who was really not an ill-natured man, 
agreed to this, remarking, Mind, boy, the king is a great 
man on shore, but I^m a greater afloat — ho, ho, ho !” and 
away he walked down the street to the Point. 

The passenger who had had the box-seat was standing 
near all the time. Hell find that there^s a greater man 
than he is on board, if he overstays his leave,” I heard him 
remark with a laugh, as he entered the inn. 

He was a slight, active young man, with a pleasant coun- . 
tenance. 

^'That^s our second lieutenant, Mr. Bryan,” said Edkins 
to me. I saw his name on his portmanteau. He must 
have thought the boatswain a rum Im. ” 

Captain CollyePs tailor lived close at hand, so I went 
there at once, and he promised to have a suit ready for me 
by the following morning. 

Edkins told me I was to dine with the captain at the 
George, and to sleep there. He proposed that we should 
walk about in the interval, and I employed part of the 
time in comforting Toby, persuading him to accompany 
the cockswain on board the frigate without me. 

We had just got outside the Southsea gate, when passing 
a fruit stall, I saw a little boy, while the old woman who 
kept the stall was looking another way, surreptitiously ab- 
stract several apples and make off with them. She turned 
at the moment, and observed the deed. 

Come back, ye little thieving spalpeen,” she cried an- 
grily, rising and making sail in chase. She was very stout, 
and filled out with petticoats on either side. The wind was 
very strong from the south-west, and, knowing that it is 
easier to sail with a fair wind than a foul, off darted the 
little boy before it over the Southsea common. He, how- 
ever, compared to the old lady, was like a brig to a seventy- 
four, with the studding-sails set alow and aloft, and she, 
with her wide-expanded figure propelled onward, was rap- 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


15 


idly gaining on the apple-loving culprit. She ^vould have 
caught him to a certainty. Toby and I and Edkins ran 
on to see the result. An old admiral (so Edkins told me 
he was), taking his constitutional^ stopped, highly en- 
joying the fun. He observed the cause of old Molly's rapid 
progress. His sympathies were excited for the urchin. 

^ Try her on a wind, boy; try her on a wind," he shouted, 
giving way to his feelings in loud laughter. 

The boy took the hint, and coming about darted off to 
the westward. Molly attempted to follow, but her breath 
failed her; the hitherto favoring gale blew her back, and 
with anathemas on the head of the culprit, she gave up tlie 
pursuit, and returned panting to her stall. 

There's the price of your apples, Molly," said the . 
admiral, as he passed, handing her a sixpence. You have 
gained it for the fun you have afforded me. " 

That 'ere little chap will come to the gallows some day, 
if he goes on like that," was the comment made by Toby. 

That's true, boy," observed Edkins. People are apt 
to forget, if they are amused, whether a thing is right or 
wrong; white's white, and black's black, whatever you 
choose to call them." 

I felt very sure, from what I saw of Edkins, that he 
would take good care of Toby. He left me at the George. 
The captain came at last. He was a broad-shouldered, 
thickset man, not very tall, but with fair hair and a most 
pleasant expression of countenance. Frank, honest, and 
kind-hearted I was certain he was. He reminded me of 
my father, except that the squire had a fresh- and he had 
a thoroughly salt-water look about him. We were joined 
at dinner by several officers, and among others by my 
fellow-passenger, who proved, as Edkins suspected, to be 
Mr. Bryan, the second lieutenant of the ^ ‘'Doris. " He 
amused the company very much by an account of Mr. 
Johnson's conversation with me. 

He is a very extraordinary fellow, that," said the cap- 
tain. He is a first-rate seaman, and thoroughly trust- 
worthy in all professional matters; but I never met his 
equal for drawing the long-bow. I knew him when I was a 
lieutenant, and could listen to his yarns. " 

The party laughed heartily at my account of the old 
apple-woman and the little boy, and I felt wonderfully at 
my ease among so many big-wigs, and began to fancy my- 


16 THE MIDSHIPMAN. 

self a personage of no small importance. After dinner, 
however, Mr. Bryan called me aside. I must give you a 
piece of advice, youngster. I overheard your contest of wit 
with the boatswain, and I remarked the way you spoke to 
your superior officers at dinner. You are now in plain 
clothes, and the captain^s guest, but do not presume on 
their present freedom. You will find the drawing-room 
and the quarter-deck very different places. Sharpness and 
wit are very well at times, but modesty is never out of 
place. I thanked Mr. Bryan hnd promised to remember 
his advice. 

The next day, with the assistance of the tailor, I got 
into my uniform, and, after I had had a little time to ad- 
mire myself, and to wish that my mother and sisters could 
see me, Edkins appeared to take me and niy traps on board. 
The frigate had gone out to Spithead, where one of Eng- 
land's proud fleets was collected. The gig was waiting at 
the point. I stepped into her with as much dignity as I 
could command, and we pulled out of the harbor. When we 
got into the tide-way, the boat began to bob about a good 
deal. I felt very queer. “ Edkins, is this what you call a 
storm I asked, wishing the boat would be quiet again. 

Yes, in a wash-tub, Mr. Merry. As like a storm as a 
tomtit is to an albatross, he answered. 

My astonishment at finding myself among the line-of- 
battle ships at Spithead was very great. What huge float- 
ing castles they appeared — what crowds of human beings 
were on board, swarming in every dii’ection, like ants 
round their nest. In a few moments a wonderful expan- 
sion of my ideas took place. Even our tight little frigate, 
as I had heard her called, looked an enormous monster 
when we pulled alongside, and the shrill whistle and sten- 
torian voice of the boatswain sounded in my ears as if the 
creature was warning us to keep off, and I thought if it be- 
gan to move, that we should, to a certainty, be crushed. 
However, I managed to climb up the side, and as I saw 
Edkins touch his hat to a tall thin gentleman in uniform, 
with a spyglass under his arm, and say, Come aboard, 
sir,^^ I touched mine, and said, Come aboard, sir."*^ 

"^All right, said Edkins, as he passed me. That is 
the first lieutenant. 

He did not take much notice of me; but soon afterward 
Mr. Bryan appeared and shook hands with me, and told 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


17 


him that I was a new midshipman, a friend of the cap- 
tain\ and was very kind ; and after a little time he called 
another midshipman, and desired him to take me down-to 
the berth and to introduce me to our messmates. My con- 
ductor was a gaunt, red-haired lad, who had shoved his 
legs and arms too far into his trousers and jacket. He did 
not seem well pleased with the duty imposed on him. I 
followed him down one flight of steps, when I saw a huge 
cannon on either side, and Hien down another into almost 
total darkness; and though Tie seemed to And his way very 
well, I had no little difficulty in seeing where he was going. 
He stopped once and said, What^s your name, young- 
ster?^^ I told him, and turning to the right he caught me 
by the collar and shoved me through a door among a num- 
ber of young men and boys, exclaiming in a croaking 
voice, 

Here’s Master Marmaduke Merry come to be one of us; 
treat him kindly for his mother^s sake. 

Having thus satisfactorily fulfilled his mission, he disap- 
peared. 

Sit down, boy, and make yourself at home,” said an 
oldish man with gray hair, from the other end of the table. 

Thank you, as soon as I can see where to sit,” said I; 
^^but you donT indulge in an overabundance of light down 
here.” 

^^Ha! ha! ha! Make room foi^Marmaduke, some of 
you youngsters there,” exclaimed the old mate, for such I 
found he was, and caterer of the mess. Eemember your 
manners, will you, and be polite to strangers. ” 

But he is not a stranger,” said a boy near me. 

Yes he is, till he has broken biscuit with us,” said old 
Perigal. That reminds me that you are perhaps hungry, 
youngster. We^ve done tea, but we shall have the grog and 
the bread on the table shortly. We divide them equally. 
You youngsters have as much to eat as you like of the one, 
weevils and all, and we to drink of the other. Ik’s the rule 
of the mess, like the laws of the Medes and Persians, not 
to be broken. However, we will allow Merry a small 
quantity to-night, as iPs his first on board ship, but after 
that, remember, no infraction of the laws;” and old Perigal 
held up a weapon which he drew from his pocket, and with 
which, I found, he was wont to enforce his commands in 
the berth. 


18 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. ' 


His system worked pretty well, and it kept the young- 
sters from falling into that most pernicious of practices, 
spirit-drinking, and the oldsters were too well seasoned to 
be injured by the double allowance they thereby gained. 

Altogether I was well pleased with my reception, and I 
fancy my new shipmates were pleased with me. My great 
difficulty at first was. finding my way about, for as to which 
was the head or after part of the sliip I had not the 
slightest notion, and the direction I received to go aft or 
go forward conveyed no idea\o my mind. 

As I was groping my way about the lower deck, I saw 
what I took to be a glimmering light in a recess, when a 
roaring voice said, ^^Ho, ho! Mr. Merry, what — have you 
come to see me? Welcome aboard the Doris. ^ The light 
was the nose, and the voice that of Jonathan Johnson the 
boatswain. 

I thanked him, and, guessing it would, please him, told 
him that I should hold him to his promise of recounting 
his adventures. 

Time enough when we get into blue water, Mr. Merry. 
Under present circumstances, with everything to do, and 
nobody fit to do it but myself — for you see, Mr. Merry, the 
gunner and carpenter are little better than nonentities, as 
you will find out some day — I have barely time to eat my 
necessary meals, muc^less to talk.” 

I told him that I should anxiously look forward to a fit- 
ting time for the expected treat, and asked him where I 
could find Toby Bluft'. 

You shall see him in a jiffy, he answered; and he bel- 
lowed out, Boy Bluff! Boy Bluff! send aft boy Bluff'!” 

The same words were repeated in various hoarse tones, 
and in less than a minute Toby came running up. He had 
had the advantage of aday^s experience on board, and had 
wonderfully soon got into the ways of the ship. 

When he saw me he shouted with joy: 

did think, Measter Marmaduke, you never would a 
coome,” he exclaimed. But it^s all right now, and my 
— what a strange place this bees. Not a bit loikethe hall, 
though there's plenty o' beef here for dinner, but it's main 
tough, and the bread for all the world's like old tiles.” 

‘^Be thankful you haven't to live on grindstones and 
marline-spikes, as I once had for a whole month, 'MFitli 


THE MIHSHIPI^fAK. 


19 


nothing ^Dut bilge-water to wash ^em down/^ growled out 
the boatswain, who overheard the observation. 

As he had told me that he had not time to talk, I did 
not ask him how this had happened. 

I might prolong indefinitely my account of my first days 
on board ship. I gradually found myself more and more 
at home, till I began to fancy that I must be of some use 
on board. No one could be kinder than was Captain 
Collyer, and he was constancy employing me in a variety 
of ways in which he thought I could be trusted. One day 
he sent for me, and giving me a letter, ordered me to take 
it on board the fiag-ship, and to deliver it in person to Cap- 
tain Bumpus, the flag-captain. I knew Captain Bumpus, 
because he had been one of our dinner-party at the George, 
and I remembered that he had laughed complacently at 
my stories. He was, however, very pompous, not a little 
conceited, and a great dandy, and I can not say that I had 
felt any great respect for him. 

We had discussed him in the berth, and the opinion was 
that he was sweet on one of the admirals daughters. At 
all events he was a bachelor, and having lately made some 
prize-money, he was supposed to be looking out for a wife 
to help him spend it. Moreover, it was whispered that he 
wore a wig, but this he strenuously denied; being very 
fond of talking of the necessity he was under of having to 
go and get his hair cut, till it became a common remark 
that though Captain Bumpus got his hair cut oftener than 
any one else, it never appeared shorter. 

I stepped into the second gig, and as Edkins went with 
me to steer the boat, I had no difficulty in getting along- 
side the flag-ship? As we pulled under the stern, I saw 
several ladies looking out from a stern gallery, which Ed- 
kins told me belonged to the admiraks cabin. I found my 
way on deck, and, touching my hat to the mate of the deck, 
announced my errand. 

Come, Ifil show you,"’^ he said, seeing that I hesitated 
which way to turn, and he led me up first to one deck and 
then to another, and then he pointed to a door at which a 
sentry was standing, and told me to go in there. I found 
four or five officers in the after-cabin waiting to see Cap- 
tain Bumpus, who was dressing, I collected from their con- 
versation. 

Presently a frizzled-out Frenchman, the very cut of a 


20 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


stage barber (a refugee, I heard aftemard), entered the cabin 
with a freshly dressed wig on a block. 

Monsieur de Captain tell me to bring his vig and put 
it^in his cabin. I do so vid your permission, gentlemen,” 
he observed, as he placed it on the table, and with a pro- 
found bow took his departure. 

The story went that Captain Bumjius, who was fond of 
good living, had only lately fallen in with poor Pierre 
Crenouille, and hud concluded a bargain on which he 
prided himself exceedingly. Ostensibly Pierre was en- 
gaged to dress his dinners, but privately to dress his hair, 
or rather his wigs. 

There was a general titter among the officers, in which I 
heartily joined. 

Suddenly, before we had time to compose our features, a 
door on one side opened, and Captain Bumpus appeared in 
full fig, with his sword under his arm, and his cocked hat 
in hand, looking self-satisfied in the extreme. He started 
when he saw the wig-block and wig, the fac-simile of the 
one he wore on his head. 

What^s that?” he exclaimed, in a voice hoarse with rage. 

Who put it there?” 

No one answered, and dashing down his hat, he seized 
the wig-block and wig, and with an exclamation of anger 
threw them overboard. 

Now, gentlemen,” he said, turning round and attempt- 
ing to be calm, what is it you have to say? Eeally this 
incident may seem ridiculous,” he added, seeing that there 
was still a suppressed titter going on, but I detest the 
sight of a wig-block since— you know that Highland trage- 
dy— ” 

^^Aman overboard! a man overboard!” was heard re- 
sounding in gruff voices from above. 

Oh, poor man, he will be drowned, he will be drowned,” 
came in a sharper treble from the admiraPs cabin. 

I heard the shrill pipe of the boatswain’s mate as boats 
were being lowered, and at that instant into the cabin 
rushed the French barber, wringing his hands in a frantic 
state, and exclaiming, Oh, captain, your beautiful vig, 
your beautiful vig, it vill all be spoiled, it vill all be 
spoiled.” 

My wig!” shouted Captain Bumpus, in a voice of thun- 
der. "" My wig, you anatomy, you mendacious inventor 


THE ]\rTDSHIPMAH. 


21 

of outrageous impossibilities. Begone out of the cabin, out 
of the ship, overboard with you, the instant dinner is 
served!” And he gave the unhappy barber a kick which 
sent him flying across the after-cabin, through the door of 
the outer one, against the sentry, who was knocked over, 
and soldier and barber lay floundering and kicking, and 
bawling and swearing, in their native dialects, amid the 
laughter of the officers, who ran to see what had become of 
the little man, and the shouts of the men who were out- 
side. 

Meantime the tide was running strong, and the wig-block 
drifted past the other ships of the fleet, from all of which 
boats instantly put off in chase. They were all assembled 
around the fatal block, and the bowman of one, more fort- 
unate than the rest, had got hold of it, and held it up amid 
shauts of laughter, when a boat from the flag-ship arrived 
and claimed the prize. 

As the boat returned, and pulled up astern, the admiral 
shouted out, Have you got the poor fellow?” 

It wasn^t a man, sir!- it was only the captain^s wig, sir,” 
was the ansTver. 

The captain^s what?” cried the admiral. 

Captain Bumpus^s wig, sir,” shouted the bowman, as 
he held it up for inspection. w 

Come aboard with it, then,” answered the admiral, 
roaring with laughter, for he richly enjoyed a joke. 

I heard a merry giggle in the stern gallery. Captain 
Bumpus turned pale with rage and mortified vanity. I de-' 
livered my dispatch, to which he said he would send an 
answer. The next day it was reported that he had resigned 
his commission and gone on shore. He could not bea^* the 
idea that the whole fleet should have discovered he wore a 
wig. 


CHAPTER H. 

Blue Peter had been for some hours flying aloft, when 
Jonathan Johnson^s pipe, sounding along the decks with 
•a shrillness which surpassed the keenest of north-easterly 
gales, gave the expected order, which his mates, in gruffest 
of gruff tones, bawled out, of ^^All hands up anchor!” 
In an instant the whole ship was in an uproar, and seemed 
to me to be in the most dire confusion. Boatswain^s mates 


tht: mtbshipmak. 


were shouting and bawling, the officers hurrying to their 
stations, the men flying here and there, some aloft to loose 
sails, and others to halyards, sheets, and braces. I must 
own that I did not feel myself of any great service in assist- 
ing at the operation going forward, but I ran and shouted 
with the rest, and as the men passed me I told them to look 
sharp, and to be smart, and to hurry along; but what they 
were about to do, I was utterly unable to discover. I met 
Toby Bluff hurrying along, looking very much scared 
and half inclined to blubber. I asked him what was the 
matter. 

It’s the big man with the rattan’’^ (he alluded to the 
ship^s corporal) told me to go aft to the poop, and stand 
by the mizzen-topsail halyards,^'’ he exclaimed. ^^But, 0 
Master Marmaduke! where they be it^s more than my seven 
senses can tell. What shall I do? what shall I do?^^ 

I saw some other boys running aft, so I advised him to 
go where they went, and to do whatever they did. I soon 
afterward saw him hauling away sturdily at a rope, and 
though he tumbled down very often, he was quickly again 
on his feet. The fife and fiddle were meantime sounding 
merrily, and, as with cheerful tramp the men pressed 
round the c^stan bars, the anchor was speedily run up to 
the bows. What the lieutenant on the forecastle could 
mean when he shouted out Man the cat-fall, I could not 
divine, till I saw that some of the crew were securing the 
stock of the anchor by means of a tackle to a stout beam, 
which projected over the bows of the sliip. Over to tlie 
fish,” next shouted the officer, an order at first equally in- 
explicable to me, till I saw the flukes of the anchor hauled 
up close to the bows — fished, as it is called. 

The sails were let fall and sheeted home, braces hauled 
taut, and the Doris,” with a rattling breeze, under all 
sail, stood through the. Needle Passage and down Ghannel. 
Those were stirring times. The cruisers of the various 
nations then at war with Old England swarmed in all 
directions; and it was the ardent wish of every one on board 
the frigate, from the captain down to my small self, and to 
the youngest powder-monkey, that we should before long 
meet an enemy worthy of our prowess. A sharp lookout 
was kept aloft night and day, and it would have been diffi- 
cult for anything under sail, passing within the circle seen 
from our maintruck, to have escaped notice. Captain 


THE MIDSHIPMAJS^. 


23 


Collyer also did liis best to prepare his crew for an encounter 
whenever it might come, and the men were kept constantly- 
exercising at the great guns and small arms, and, for a 
change, at shortening and making sail, till they had all 
learned to work well together. I was all this time rapidly 
picking up a fair amount of miscellaneous nautical knowl- 
edge, partly by observation, but chiefly from my mess- 
mates, and from Sam Edkins, the captain^s cockswain, who 
had, as he said, taken a liking to me. 

Mr. Johnson, the boatswain, at times, condescended to 
give me instruction. At present, Mr. Merry, youfll ob- 
serve, and I say it with perfect respect," remarked my 
friend, you'^re like a sucking babe, an unfledged sparrow, 
a squid on dry ground — you^re of no use to nobody, 
and rather want somebody to look after you, and keep you 
out of harm. When youVe been to sea as many years as I 
have,' if you keep your eyes open, jmufll begin- to And out 
what^s what." 

I confess that these observations of the boatswain were 
calculated to make me feel rather small. However, I was 
not offended, and I often managed to pay Mr. Jonathan 
back in his own coin, which made him like me all the more. 
A great contrast to him in character was the captain^s stew- 
ard, Billy Wise. Billy fiad been to sea all his life, but no 
training could make a sailor of him. He was devoted to 
the captain, whom he had followed from ship to ship, and 
who took him, I truly believe, from pure compassion, be- 
cause no one else would have had him. He was, however, 
a faithful fellow, and* I am certain would have done any- 
thing to serve his captain. 

Captain Collyer used to have some of the youngsters into 
his cabin to learn navigation. I liked this very much, and 
studied hard; for, as I had come to sea to be a sailor I 
wished to be a good one. Several of us were seated round 
the table one day, when the steward made his appearance. 

‘^^How is the wind, Wise.^" asked the captain. 

Some says ik’s east, and some says ik's west. Captain 
Collyer," was the satisfactory answer. 

And which way do you say it is?" inquired his master. 

AVhichever way you please, sir," replied the steward, 
pulling a lock of his hair. 

Even the presence of our captain could scarcely prevent 
us youngsters from bursting into a roar of laughter, This 


24 


THE MIDSHIPMAK. 


was surpassed, however, by an Irish midshipman, an old 
shipmate of mine, who, when undergoing his examination 
for navigation, and being asked, whether the sun went round 
the earth, or the earth round the sun, looked up with per- 
fect confidence, and unhesitatingly replied: 

Faith, gentlemen, it^s sometimes one and sometimes 
the other/^ 

He was very much surprised at being turned back. He, 
however, afterward managed to pass, but w'hether it was 
because the examining officers were not quite confident as 
to the exact state of the case themselves, and therefore did 
not push the question, or that he had in. the meantime 
gained the required information, I do not now remember. 

Captain Collyer was accustomed to Billyhs eccentricities. 
They were sometimes inconvenient. One day, we fell in 
with a line-of -battle ship, and our captain had to go ' on 
board to pay his respects to his superior officer. As he was 
hurriedly leaving his cabin he called for his cocked hat. 

Your hat. Captain Oollyer — your hat, sir,^^ ejaculated 
Billy Wise, in a state of great trepidation — it^s all safe, 
sir. It druve ashore at Hurst, as we was coming through 
the Needle Passage, and some of the sodgers at thje castle 
])icked it up." 

Poor Billy had been brushing the hat at a port with too 
great vehemence, and sent it fiying overboai’d. He might 
possibly have seen something dark floating toward Hurst, 
and his shipmates, Avho were always practicing on his cre- 
dulity, probably persuaded him that it was the captain^s hat. 
Many captains, in those days, would have given him a 
couple of dozen, or put him on nine-water grog for a month. 
Capfain Collyer very soon forgot all about the matter, ex- 
cept wffien he told the story as a good joke. On the pres- 
ent occasion he had to borrow a cocked hat; and it was not 
till we had been in action, and one of the officers killed, 
that, he could get fitted with one of his own. 

The captain had a goat, which was a source of much 
amusement to us youngsters and of annoyance to Mr. 
Lukyn, the first lieutenant; for, as if aware that she did be- 
long to the captain, she made no scruple of invading the 
quarter-deck, and soiling its purity. One day, my first ac- 
quaintance on board — the tall, gaunt midshipman with red 
hair, who, by the bye, went by the name of Miss Susan — 
with two or three other youngsters and me, were standing on 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


25 


our side of the deck, when Nancy, the goat, released from 
her pen, came prancing up to us. We, as usual, made 
grabs at her horns and tail, and somewhat excited her 
temper. Now, she began to butt at us, and made us fly, 
right and left. Miss Susan W'as capsized, and sent sprawl- 
ing on the deck; and Nancy, highly delighted at her vic- 
tory, frisked off over to- the starboard side, where Mr. 
Lukyn, with all the dignity of a first lieutenant, was walk- 
ing the deck with his ^lass under his arm. Nancy, either 
mistaking his long legs for the stems of trees and shrubs of 
her native hills, or wishing to repeat the experiment which 
had succeeded so well with regard to Miss Susan, made a 
furious butt at his calves while he was walking aft, uncon- 
scious of her approach. The effect must have been beyond 
Nancy^s utmost expectations, as it was beyond ours. Our 
gallant first never appeared very firm on his pins, and, the 
blow doubling his knees, down he came, stem first, on the 
deck with his heels in the air, while the goat, highly de- 
lighted at her performance, and totally unconscious of her 
gross infraction of naval discipline, frolicked off forward in 
search of fresh adventures. 

Just at that moment up came Billy Wise with a message 
from the captain. 

Now Mr. Lukyn rarely gave way to anger, but this was 
an occasion to try his temper. Picking himself up from 
his undignified posture, Hang the goat,^^ he exclaimed in 
a loud tone; ^^who let the creature loose?^^ 

Billy did not know, but haying delivered his message 
went forward; while we endeavored to conceal, as far as we 
could, the fits of laughter in which we were indulging. 
Miss Susan^s real name was Jacob Spellman. 

Some short time after this, I was going along the main 
deck with him, when we found the captain^s steward very 
busy splicing an eye in a rope, close to the cattle pen, 
where Nancy had her abode. We walked on a little way, 
and then turned round to watch him. Having formed a 
running noose, he put it round the goat^s neck, and dragged 
her out of the pen. He then got a tub and made her stand 
upon it while he passed the rope over a hook in the beam 
above. Hauling away as hard as he could, he gave tlu% tub 
a kick, and there hung poor Nancy, in a most uncomfort- 
able position, very nearly with her neck dislocated; but as 
he had not calculated on her power of standing on her hind 


2n 


THE MTBSHTPMAH. 


legs, the result he expected was unaccomplished, and she 
was not altogether deprived of life. She struggled, how- 
ever, so violently, that she would very soon have been 
strangled had not old Perigal, who was mate of the main 
deck, come up and seen what was going forward. 

Why, man, what are you about he exclaimed. 

Please, sir, I be hanging the goat,” was Billyhs reply. 

Hanging the goat! who told you to do that?” inquired 
Perigal. 

‘^^It was the first lieutenant, sir. She knocked him over 
right flat on the deck, and so he told me to go and hang 
her.” 

Well, you are a precious — ” exclaimed the old mate. 

Let free the beast, and thank your stars that you didn^t 
hang her. The captain is a wonderfully good-natured man, 
there can be no doubt of it; but even he wouldn’t have 
stood having his goat hung. ” 

Of course, I do not dress the language of my shipmates 
with the expletives in which many of them were apt to' in- 
dulge, when the use of strange oaths and swearing of all 
descriptions was more common than even at present, when 
the practice would be more honored in the breach than in 
the observance. One thing I must say, I never heard our 
gallant captain utter an oath or abuse a man during the 
whole time I had the happiness of serving under him, and 
a braver, more spirited, or more sensible man never trod 
the deck of a man-of-war as her chief. His memory is 
dear, not only to all those who served with him, but to all 
of high or low degree who knew him during his long and 
glorious naval career. His manners were mild and gentle, 
though he had an abundance of humor and spirit. He 
could, however, when he thought it necessary, speak with 
the gravest severity to a delinquent. I never saw any man 
more cool, and calm, and thoughtful in action. It may 
truly be said of him that in battle he was as brave as a 
lion, and in peace as gentle as a lamb. I could not resist 
uttering this panegyric on our well-loved captain. 

To return to Billy Wise and the goat. The poor ani- 
mal’s life was saved, though she had a strange way of 
stretdiing out her neck for some weeks afterward, and al- 
ways gave Billy a wide berth when she encountered him 
in her rambles about the decks. 

When the captain heard the account, instead of being 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


27 


angry, he laughed heartily, and added the story to his batch 
of anecdotes. 

I must do something with that poor fellow, he re- 
marked. He is not fit to be made Lord Chief -Justice, I 
fear. 

It was not always ;plain sailing with me. Spellman and 
I were pretty good friends, but he was somewhat inclined 
to play the bully. He was called Miss Susan simply be- 
cause he was as unlike a girl as a great, awkward, gawky 
fellow, with red hair and a freckled face, could well be. 

One day, as I was going along the lower-deck, with a 
message to old Perigal, who was attending to some duty 
forward, I came suddenly on Toby Bluff, whose ear Spell- 
man had seized, while with his heel he was bestowing sun- 
dry hard blows on the corpus of my sturdy follower, who 
already knew enough of naval discipline not to venture on 
retaliation. Toby, though short was as strong as a lion, 
and could have hurled him to the deck if he had dared. 
This made Miss Susan^s attack all the more cowardly. 
What Toby had done to give offense I did not stop to in- 
quire. My anger was up in a moment. 

^^Let go the boy, Spellman I exclaimed, ^^you shall 
not strike him again. ” 

Toby gained little by this, for Miss Susan only kicked 
him the harder; whereon, up I rushed, and hit my tall 
messmate a blow between the eyes, which made lightning 
flash from them, I suspect. Spellman instantly let go Toby 
and sprung at me. I stood prepared for the onslaught. 
Blinded by my first blow, my antagonist hit out at random, 
and though double my weight, was far from getting the 
best of it. While we were thus pleasantly occupied, Mr. 
Lukyn, with the sergeant-at-arms, was going his rounds. 
We were so earnestly engaged in endeavoring to the utmost 
of our power to hurt each other, that we did not perceive 
their approach. Toby knew too well the laws of British 
pugilism to interfere, though had my opponent been an 
enemy of a different nation, and had we been engaged in 
mortal combat, I have no doubt that I should have found 
in my young follower an able supporter. An exclamation 
from Toby threw Spellman off his guard, when a f idl blow, 
which I planted on his breast, sent him reeling back into 
the no very tender clutches of old Krause, the master- 
at-arms. 


28 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


What is this about, young gentlemen?^^ exclaimed Mr. 
Lukyn, in a severe tone. Fighting is against the articles 
of war.” 

He hit me, sir. ” He kicked the boy Bluif,” we both 
exclaimed in the same breath. 

I must have you both up before the captain, and ascer- 
tain who is the culprit,” said Mr. Lukyn. ‘^Master-at- 
arms, take these young gentlemen into custody. ” 

I, on this, represented that I had been sent on a message 
to Mr. Perigal, and was allowed to go and deliver it. While 
I was absent, Spellman took care to put his case in the best 
light, and mine in the worst. In about an hour we were 
both taken before the captain, and Toby was summoned as 
a witness. For fear of committing me, he was only 
puzzled what to say. 

“ Speak the truth, and nothing but it,” said I, boldly. 

The captain cast a look of approbation on me. 

Toby frankly confessed that, not seeing Mr. Spellman, he 
had run against him, when he had been seized by the ear, 
and that I, coming up, had taken his part. 

Toby was dismissed. 

“ How, young gentlemen, you are both in the wrong,” 
said the captain. “ You, Mr. Spellman, should not have 
struck the boy for his heedlessness; and you, Mr. Merry, 
should not have taken the law into your own hand. You 
will both of you go to the mast-head, and remain there till 
Mr. Lukyn calls you down; Mr. Merry to the foremast, 
Mr. Spellman to the mainmast.” 

We thought that we had got off very easily; and we 
should, had not the first lieutenant gone below and forgot- 
ten all about us. Hour after hour passed by; we had had 
no dinner; I was almost starved, and could scarcely have 
held on longer, when my eye fell on a sail to the soutlrvvard. 
We were in the chops of the channel, with the wind from 
the northward. “Sail 0!” I shouted out in a shrill tone. 
Fortunately Mr. Lukyn was on deck, and when I had told 
him the direction in which I had seen the stranger, he 
called me down, it having probably occurred to him that I 
had been mast-headed rather longer than he intended. 

When I got on deck I went up to him, and, touching my 
hat, said, “ Please, sir, Spellman is still at the mast-head.” 

“Oh, is he? ah!” he answered, taking a turn. 

I guessed from this that he did not think I was much to 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


20 


blame. Still I was anxious to get poor Miss Susan out of 
his unpleasant predicament, for I knew he was almost dead 
with hunger. I had resolved to go up to Mr. Lukyn to tell 
him so, when he hailed my late antagonist, and ordered him 
on deck. 

You have to thank Mr. Merry that you are not up there 
still, observed the first lieutenant, walking away. 

Meantime the helm had been put up, and sail made in 
chase of the stranger. All hands earnestly hoped that she 
might prove an enemy. A sharp lookout was kept on her. 
One thing soon became evident — that we must have been 
seen, and that she was not inclined to fly. • 

Now, Mr. Merry, wefil show you what fighting is,^^ ob- 
served Mr. t^hnson, the boatswain, as I stood near him on 
the forecastle.. Youfil soon see round-shot and langrage, 
and bullets rattling about us, thick as hail; and heads, and 
arms, and legs flying off like shuttle-cocks. A man’s head 
is off his shoulders before he knows where he is. Youll 
not believe it, Mr. Merry, perhaps; but it^s a fact. I once 
belonged to a frigate, when we fell in with two of the 
enemy^s line-of -battle ships, and brought them to action. 
One, for a short time, was on our starboard beam, and the 
otheT right aft; and we were exposed to a terrible cross and 
raking fire; it^s only a wonder one of us remained alive, or 
that the ship didn^’t go down. It happened that two men 
were standing near me, looking the same way — athwart 
ships, youfil understand. The name of one was Bill Cox 
— the other, Tom Jay. Well, a round-shot came from our 
enemy astern, and took off the head of Bill Cox, who was 
on the larboard side; while at that identical moment a 
chain-shot from the ship abeam cut off Tom Jay^s head, 
who was nearest the starboard side, so cleanly — he hap- 
pened to have a long neck — that it was jerked on to the 
body of Bill Cox, who, very naturally, putting up his hands 
to feel what had become of his own head, kept it there so 
tightly that it stuck — positively stuck; and, the surgeon 
afterward plastering it thickly round, it grew as firmly as 
if it had always belonged to the body. The curious thing 
was that the man did not afterward know what to call him- 
self; when he intended to do one thing he was constantly 
doing another. There was Bill Cox^s body, d^ye see, and 
Tom Jay^s head. Bill Cox was rather the shorter of the 
two, and had had a very ugly mug of his own; while Tom 


30 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


Jay was a good-looking chap. Consequently Bill used 
sometimes to blush when he heard his good looks spoken 
of, and sometimes to get angry, thinking people were mak- 
ing fun of him. At first Bill never knew who was hailed, 
and used to sing out, ^ Which of us do you want-?^ How- 
ever, it was agreed that he was and should be Bill Cox, 
because the head belonged to the body by right of- capture; 
for if Bilks arms hadn^t sprung up and caught it, the 
head would have gone overboard, and been no use to 
nobody. So the matter was settled, as far as the public 
was concerned. was put against Tom Taya’s name, 

and his disconsolate widow was written to, and told she 
might marry some one else as soon as she liked. But Bill 
wasnT at all comfortable about himself. .Ha was fond of 
fat bacon, which Tom Jay could never abide; and when 
Bill put it into his new mouth, why, you see, the mouth 
that was Tom^s spit it out again, and wouldnT let it, by no 
manner of means, go dpwn his throat. Then Tom was 
fond of a chaw, and seldom had had a quid out of his 
cheeks. Bill, for some reason, didnT like backy, and 
though his mouth kept asking for it, nothing would ever 
tempt his hands to put a quid inside. ^ Fm very misera- 
ble, that I be,^ groaned poor Bill; sometimes almost 
wishes I hadnT caught Tonies head — that I do.' 

You see, Mr. Merry, people seldom know when they 
are well off, and that I used to tell him. More came of it 
when Bill got home. When poor Tom Jay's widow caught 
sight of him there was a terrible to do, seeing she was 
already married to another man; but I'll tell you all about 
that by and by. There's the captain about to speak." 

The captain's speech was very brief: Clear ship for 
action," he exclaimed, as he placed himself on one of the 
after-guns: ^^and now, lads, let me see what you are 
made of." 

I had been about to ask the boatswain how he got clear 
of the two line-of -battle sliips, "when this interruption oc- 
curred. Toby Bluff had been standing at a respectful dis- 
tance, taking it all in with open mouth and astonishment. 
Each man went to his station — bulkheads were knocked 
away — the fires put out — the magazine opened — powder 
and shot were carried on deck---the guns were cast loose, 
and every preparation was made in a wonderfully short 
space of time. • As I passed along the main-deck, I found 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


31 


Toby Bluff sitting on his tub, the picture of a regular 
-powder-monkey — fat, sturdy, and unconcerned. He had 
become on very familiar terms with the other boys, and 
had fought his way into a satisfactory state of equality. He 
and those near him were firing off jokes at each other at a 
rapid rate, the others trying to frighten him, and he in no 
way inclined, to take alarm. 

Never you mind,'’^ he answered to a remark made by 
one of his companions; ^‘‘if some chaps have their heads 
blown off, others gets new ones clapped on again! Ha, ha, 
ha! That’s more than some^f you ever see’d done.” 

I was glad to see that Toby was in such good heart, and 
would not disgrace our county. When I reached the upper 
deck, I found our bunting .going up and down. e were 
signalizing with the stranger, which, after all, turned out 
to be no enemy, but his majesty’s thirty-six gun frigate, 

Uranius.” There was a general groan of disappointment 
when the-«order was given to semre the guns and close 
the magazine. I believe that, at that moment, most of 
the people, so worked up were they for fighting, would 
rather have had a turn-to with their friend, than have been 
balked altogether. We found, however, that we should 
soon have a good opportunity of gratifying our pugna- 
cious propensities. Admiral Cornwalhs was at that time 
the commander-in-chief of the Channel fleet. He had di- 
rected Captain Collyer to look out for the Uranius ” and 
another frigate, the Emerald,” and to proceed off Point 
St. Matthieu, to watch the French and Spanish fleets then 
lying in Brest harbor. After cruising for a couple of days, 
we fell in with the other frigate, and thus all together pro- 
ceeded to our destination. We soon reached it. ' On stand- 
ing in toward the land, we very clearly made out the 
enemy’s fleet at anchor in Brest harbor; but few, if any, of 
the ships had their sails bent, and even if they had come 
out after us, we could very easily have escaped. ^ 

All hands shorten sail, and bring ship to an anchor,” 
was the order given, and all three frigates brought up just 
as coolly as if we had been at Spithead. 

wonder what they think of us?” I observed to the 
boatswain, as one day I was examining the enemy through 
my glass. 

Think of us!” he exclaimed. That we are as impu- 


32 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


dent as sparrows, and that they would willingly wring our 
necks and eat us if they could. But it is nothing to what 
I have seen done in the way of daring. I once belonged to 
a frigate commanded by Captain Longbow, and, as he 
would tell you, if you were to ask him, we one night sailed 
right into the middle of a Spanish fleet — ran alongside one 
of their ships, boarded and carried her, and took her out 
free without the Spanish admiral discovering what we had 
been about. There^s no end to the wonderful things I have 
seen done, or, I may say, without conceit, have done, Mr. 
Merry. But I rather suspect that we ^all have to lose 
sight of the Dons and Monsiiurs for a few days. There^s 
bad weather coming on, and we’ shall have to stand out to 
sea; but, never mind, theyfll not make their escape with a 
gale in their teeth. 

Mr. Johnson prognosticated rightly. Before many hours 
it was blowing great guns and small arms, and the three 
frigates were endeavoring, under Ml the sail they could 
carry, to obtain a good omng from the land. We tumbled 
about and pitched into the seas in a way which prevented 
me from, as usual, pitching into my dinner. One thing 
was satisfactory; the gale blockaded the enemy as elfectu- 
ally as we could have done. They were not inclined to 
come out and face either our guns or the fury of the 
wind. I can not say, however, that just at that time any- 
thing brought much consolation to me. I had only one 
very strong wish : it was to be thrown overboard — not that 
I had the slightest intention of jumping into the sea of my 
own accord. I was too far gone for any such energetic 
proceeding; and had anybody else taken me up for the pur- 
pose, I have no doubt that I should have struggled and 
kicked myself into perfect health again. I had coiled my- 
self away on the top of my chest, on the lower deck, in a 
dark recess, where I thought no one would see me; and 
there I hoped to remain all alone in my misery, till the 
ship went Mown, or blew up, or something else dreadful 
happened, for as to my ever getting well again, that I felt 
was physically impossible. I had lain thus for some time, 
believing myself to be the most miserable small piece of 
humanity in existence, when, the frigate appearing to be 
pitching and rolling more furiously than ever, I heard a 
gruff voice exclaim: 

What, youngster! are you going to let the ship go down, 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


33 


and yon not try to save her? On deck with yon; be smart. 


now. 


I felt a colt applied to a part of my body which, in the 
position I lay, ofl'ered a tempting mark. The voice was 
that of old Perigal; his sharp eyes had found me out. I 
sprung up, and rushed on deck with an involuntary yell of 
pain, to find- the shij) under her three topsails closely reefed, 
forcing her way bravely through the seas, and not at all in- 
clined to go down, or to come to any other damage. 

YouTe all the better for that trip, youngster,^’ said the 
old mate with a grin, as T returned to the berth. Now, 
just take a lump of this fat bacon and a bit of biscuit — and 
here, as a treat, you shall have a nip of old Jamaica, and 
you’ll be all to rights in ten minutes, and never be seasick 
again as long as you live. ” 

I remonstrated, but out came the colt, and with an argu- 
ment so cogent, I was fain to adopt my messmate’s remedy. 
It was a terrible trial. At first, I could scarcely bring my 
teeth to meet, but Perigal flourished his weapon, and my 
jaws went faster and faster, till I was not sorry to finish 
the whole of the biscuit and bacon placed before me, and 
could have taken twice as much if I could have got it. 
Perigal was right. From that day to this I have never 
suffered from seasickness. 

Toby Bluff had undergone a similar ordeal, and when I 
was well enough to go and look for him, I found him 
scraping away at a beef bone, from which he had just re- 
moved the last particle of meat. 

Tlie summer gale was soon over, and once more we stood 
in for the land to look after the Frenchmen. As we drew 
in, I saw the captain and officers eagerly scanning the coast 
with their glasses, and it was soon known that a ship had 
been discovered at anchor by herself in a bay almost abreast 
of where we then were. She was protected, however, by 
the guns of some strongish batteries. 

We must have her out,” observed Captain Collyer; and 
forthwith the proposal was made to our consorts by signal. 

^leither of the captains was the sort of man to decline 
engaging in the undertaking. Off we went, under every 
stitch of canvas we could carry, to look for the admiral, 
who, with a fleet sufficient to render a good account of the 
enemy, should they venture out of harbor, was cruising in 
the neighborhood. ^ 


34 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


Admiral Cornwallis highly approved of the proposal. Go 
and do it/^ was his laconic reply. He was more addicted to 
acts than to words. He sent a lieutenant, in whom he 
placed great confidence, to take command, and a boat and 
boat^s crew from the flag-ship to lead. This was not quite 
as complimentary a proceeding as the three captains would 
have liked; but they were all too zealous and too anxious to 
get the work done to stand on ceremony. Away back we 
sailed, till we once more made out the entrance to the bay, 
which Avas called Cameret Bay. 

The craft we were about to attack, and hoped to capture, 
was the "" Chevrette,” a ship corvette, mounting twenty 
guns — a powerful vessel, and not likely to be taken with- 
out a severe struggle. Notice was given that volunteers 
would be required for the service, and immediately the 
greater part of the officers and crews of the three frigates 
came forward. Among those who volunteered from the 

Doris Avere Mr. Bryan, the second lieutenant; Mr. John- 
son, the boatsAvain; and Edkins, the captain^’s cockswain. 
All were allowed to go. The captain had great confidence 
in Mr. Bryan; and I suspect that he had a fancy to ascer- 
tain Avhat Mr. Johnson really Avas made of. 

We brought up at our usual anchorage, and the remain- 
der of the day Avas occupied in making preparations for the 
expedition. I saw Mr. Johnson very busily employed in 
his cabin in cleaning his pistols. 

Come in, Mr. Merry,” he said, as he caught sight of 
me. These are old friends of mine; they have served me 
many a good turn before now. If it was not for these pis- 
tols, I should not have been in the land of the living; some 
day I’ll tell you hoAv it happened. Well, Ave are likely to 
have some desperate work to-night, and no one can tell 
Avhose lot it will be to fall. That reminds me, Mr. Merry, 
I have Avritten a letter to my Avife, and I Avill intrust it to 
you. That is more than I would do to any other midship- 
man in the ship. She is a charming person — every inch a 
lady, and a lady of rank too. One thing I must charge 
you — do not speak of me as a boatswain. She has no idea 
that I hold so subordinate a rank. She believes that I am 
an officer, and so I am ; only I am a warrant, and not a com- 
missioned officer. Just tell her that I died fighting bravely 
for my country. Her name — for she is not called Mrs. 
Johnson — and address you will find within that inclosiire. 


THE MJDSHIFMAH. 


35 


If I come back, you will restore it to me - as it is; if I fall, 
you will know wliat to do with it. 

I thanked Mr. Johnston very much for the confidence he 
reposed in me, but told him that I had come for the very 
purpose of asking him to let me go in his boat. 

You, Mr. Merry?^^ exclaimed the boatswain. YouJl 
be made into mince-meat — cut to atoms — annihilated. It^s 
no Childs’s play, that cutting-out work we are going on, let 
me tell you. Time enough when you are bigger.'’^ 

• “ But I want to go, that I may know how to do it,^’ I 
argued; I have come to sea to learn to be a sailor and an 
officer, and the captain says we should lose no opportunity 
of gaining knowledge; and I could not find a better occa- 
sion than the present for gaining an insight into what, I 
fancy, is of very considerable importance.'’^ 

I went on for some time arguing in this way^ and coax- 
ing the boatswain. 

^^Well! well! I can not give you leave, youngster— 
you know that; but I have heard of boys stowing them-, 
selves away under a sail in the bows of a boat, and coming 
out to play their part right manfully when the time for 
action had arrived. I am to have the pinnace, you know. 

Thank you — thank you,^^ I exclaimed, overwhelmed 
with gratitude at the enormous favor done for me by the 
boatswain, of allowing me to run a considerable chance of 
getting knocked on the head. 

DonT say any more about it, Mr. Merry,” said Mr. 
Johnson; I always liked you; and I couldnT do for my 
own son, if I had one, more than I would do for you.” 

The boatswain forgot to ask for his letter back, so I lock- 
ed it up in my desk, after I had written a few lines to in- 
form my family that, if they received them, it would be to 
convey the information that I had fallen, nobly fighting for 
my country, on the field of fame — or something to that 
effect. I knew I thought my epistle so very fine and jDa- 
thetic that I could not resist the temptation of sending it 
home, and very nearly frightening my mother and sisters 
into hysterics, under the belief that I really was numbered 
among, the killed and wounded. It was only when they got 
to the postscript that .they discovered I was all right and 
well. Having written this dispatch, announcing my own 
demise — which, by the bye, I should certainly not have 
done not the boatswain put it into my head — I set to 


36 


THE MIDSHlPMAlf. 


work to make my other prei^arations. Having secured a 
pistol, with some powder and bullets, and a cutlass, which 
I fancied I could handle, I stowed them away in the bows 
of the pinnace. 

I never before played the hypocrite, but I was so afraid 
that my messmates would discover my purpose, that I pre- 
tended to take no interest in the proposed expedition, and 
spoke as if it was an affair in which I should be very sorry 
to be engaged. I got, in consequence, considerably sneered 
at; Miss Susan, especially, amused himself at my expense, 
and told me that 1 had better go back to my sisters, and 
help them to sew and nurse babies, if I was afraid of fight- 
ing. I bore all that was said with wonderful equanimity, 
hoping that the next morning would show I was a greater 
hero than any of them. 

At length the boats^ crews were piped away; it was the 
signal for which I had long been listening. I rushed on 
deck, and, unperceived, as I hoped, I jumped into the pin- 
nace, and stowed myself away under the thwarts. The 
boats were lowered, the order was given to shove oft*, and, 
with a hearty cheer from all on board the ships, to which 
those in the boats responded, away we pulled for the mouth 
of Cameret Bay. My position was anything but pleasant, 
especially as I got several kicks from the feet of the men 
which nearly stove in my ribs; and I was therefore very 
glad when I thought it would be safe to crawl out and pre- 
sent myself to the boatswain. The men, very naturally, 
were highly pleased, and I rose considerably in their estima- 
tion by what I had done; but Mr. Johnson, of course, pre- 
tended to be very angry when he saw me, and told me the 
captain would never forgive me, or speak to me again, if I 
got killed. At first, the men were allowed to laugh and 
talk as much as they liked; but as we approached the en- 
trance to the bay, silence was enjoined, and even the oars 
were muffled, so that we should give no notice, to the enemy 
of our approach. 

The night was very dark. Our boat had kept near that 
of our le^er, Mr. Bryan; but after some time it was dis- 
covered that the other division of boats had not come up. 
We had pulled very fast, and probably outstripped them. 
We pulled on till we got within the very mouth of the har- 
bor, and then the. order was passed from boat to boat that 
we were to lay on our oars till the rest of the boats came. 


THE MrDSHlPMAlf. 


37 


up. I found this rather a trying time. AVliile we were 
rapidly pulling on I could not think, and I felt a powerful 
longing to be slashing away at the enemy. Now I began 
to reflect that they would be equally slashing away at me; 
and I remembered my own pathetic letter, and what I fan- 
cied Jonathan Johnson^s anticipations of evil. Probably 
the men were indulging in much the same sort of thoughts; 
I know that they did not appear to be in nearly such 
good spirits as at first. This showed me what I have ever 
since remembered, that when dashing work is to be done, it 
should be done oft'-hand, and that all pains should be taken 
to avoid a halt or interruption. 

Hour after hour jmssed by; no boats appeared. At 
length the day broke, and so rapidly did it come on that, 
before we had time to get to a distance, the light revealed us 
to the eyes of the enemy. The other boats were nowhere 
to be seen; they, for some reason, had returned to the 
ships; we had now no resource but to do the same, in a 
very crest-fallen condition. . 

I hid myself away, as before, and managed to get on 
board without any one discovering where I had been. I 
knew that Mr. Johnson would keep his counsel, and I did 
my best to keep mine. Captain Collyer and the other cap- 
tains were very much annoyed at the failure of the expe- 
dition, and it soon became known that they had resolved 
to make another attempt to cut out the Chevrette. ” 

There was no time to be lost. Another expedition was 
arranged for that night. Every one knew that it would be 
far more dangerous than it would have been on the previous 
night, because the enemy would now be prepared - for our 
reception. The corvette, indeed, was seen to go further 
up the harbor, so as to be more completely under the pro- 
tection of the batteries; and as boats were continually pass- 
ing between her and the shore;, there could be little doubt 
that she was augmenting the number of her crew. Not- 
withstanding the formidable resistance they might thus 
expect to meet with, all were as eager as before to join in 
the expedition. 

I resolved not to be balked of my expected amusement, 
but how to accomplish my purpose was the difficulty. I 
heard both the officers and men regretting the failure of 
the previous night, and observing that they should have 
much tougher work the next time, by which I knew that 


38 


THE JVIlDSllirHAK. 


the danger would be very greatly increased; but that only 
made me the more eager to go on the expedition. The re- 
sistance to be' expected was, indeed, formidable. We could 
see with our glasses the people busily employed, in throwing 
u]) new batteries on shore; and then a large gun-vessel 
came out and anchored at the mouth of the bay, to give 
notice of the approach of boats. What, however, excited 
the rage of all on board, and made us still more eager to 
capture the French corvette, was to see her hoist a large 
French ensign above the British flag. 

That insult seals her fate,^^ observed Mr. Bryan, loud 
enough for the men near to hear him. Our fellows will 
take very good care to reverse those two flags before many 
hours are over. 

I was in a very fidgety state all day. I was not accus- 
tomed to concealment, and I dared trust no one with my 
plans. Even Toby Bluff, I suspected, would try to prevent 
me going, unless he was allowed to go also; and that I did 
not wish, as it would, in the first place, have increased the 
chances of my being discovered, and also, though I was 
ready enough to run the risk of being knocked on the head 
myself, I did not wish to let him get hurt if I could help it. 
I likewise very carefully kept out of the boatswain^’s way. 
I knew that, as the danger was increased, he would be still 
less willing to let me go, and I was in a great fright lest he 
should have an opportunity of speaking to me alone, and 
3ther prohibit me from going in his boat. At last a 



t idea occurred to me — I would sham ill, and then no 


one would suspect me. I immediately went to our long- 
headed Scotch assistant-surgeon, Macquoid, and described 
my symptoms. 

Youh’e vary ill, lad — vary ill,^^ he answered, looking 
at me with a quizzical expression in his humorous counte- 
nance. IT give you something which will do for ye, and 
not make ye wish for any more physic for a long time to 
come. 

Macquoid was as good as his word. Terribly nauseous was 
the draught he insisted on my swallowing; nor would he 
leave me till every drop had gone down, and then I rushed off 
to the berth and threw myself on a locker to luxuriate in the 
flavor, which nothing I could take would remove from my 
mouth. 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 39 

It was the first and last time I ever made an attempt at 
malingering. 


CHAPTER HI. 

After I had taken Macquoid^s nauseous draught, I went 
and lay down on my chest. I chose that spot because, from 
the uncomfortable position in which I was obliged to place 
myself, I was not likely to go to sleep, and because I was 
there better able to hear when the boats^ crews were called 
away. I could not help now and then giving way to a groan, 
which the sickness and pain of the physic produced. 

Who^s that?” I heard old Perigal inquire, as he was 
passing to the berth. 

Oh, it’s only that little sneak. Merry,” Spellman an- 
swered. He thinks that he may be ordered ofi in the 
boat, and is shamming sick to escape, as if such a hopro’- 
my-thumb as he is could be of any use. ” 

That is not like him. I consider him a very plucky little 
fellow,” remarked Perigal. 

Thank you, old boy,” I said mentally. ^^And you. 
Miss Susan, I’ll be even with you some day for your oblig- 
ing remarks.” 

I can not say, however, that I felt any enmity toward 
Spellman on that account. I had not respect enough for 
him for that. I would rather, however, have parted with 
more kindly feelings toward all my messmates on so dan- 
gerous an expedition. I could not help thinking over the 
matter while lying so long silent by myself, but my resolu- 
tion to accomplish my design was not shaken. My mess- 
mates went into the berth, and just then I heard the boats 
piped away. I ran quickly upon deck, and, while the men 
were buckling on their cutlasses, I slipped into the pinnace, 
and stowed myself, as before, into so small a space, that 
even the boatswain, who looked into the boat, did not per- 
ceive me. I knew that he looked for me, because I heard 
his grufi voice say, All right; he’s not there. He’s 
thought better of it.” At about half past nine the final 
order to shove off was given, and away we went. I got 
fewer kicks this time, for I took good care to keep my legs 
out of the way. The men, also, I suspect, guessed that I 
was there. I knew that I was perfectly safe with them. 

The flotilla 'consisted of fifteen boats, containing nearly 


40 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


three hundred officers and men, not counting myself. After 
we had got, as I supposed, about a couple of miles from the 
ship, and I knew that I could not be sent back, I ventured 
to crawl out and look over the gunwale. The inky sea 
around us was dotted with boats, all the party keeping 
pretty close together. The night was so dark that I could 
see little more than their outlines, as they crept rajiidly 
along like many-footed monsters, over the deep. I did not 
fancy that Mr. Johnson knew I was there, but his sharp eyes 
made me out through the gloom. 

Mr. Merry, step aft, if you please, sir,” he bawled out 
suddenly. 

Stepping over the oars, I went and sat myself down by 
him, blit said nothing. 

Mr. Merry, this conduct is highly reprehensible; I must 
report it to the captain as soon as we get back, after we 
have carried and brought out that French corvette, and 
covered ourselves with honor and glory; and I donT know 
what he^ll say to you. And now, sir, after, as in duty 
bound, from being your superior officer, I have expressed 
my opinions, I should like to know what you are going to 
do when we get alongside the enemy?” 

Climb up with the rest, and fight the Frenchmen,” I 
replied promptly. 

Very good, Mr. Merry; but suppose one of the French- 
men was to give you a poke in the ribs with a l oarding- 
pike, or a shot through the chest, or a slash with Vj cutlass, 
what would you do then ?” 

Grin and bear it, I suppose, like anybody else,” was my 
answer. 

^^Very good, very good, indeed, Mr. Merry,” said the 
boatswain, well pleased; that^s the spirit I like, and ex- 
pected to find in you. Now, my boy, whatever you do^ 
stick by me; Fll do my best for you. If I get knocked 
over, and there^s no saying what will happen in desperate 
work like this, then keep close to Edkins. He^s a good 
swordsman, and wonT let you be hurt if he can help it. 
I should be sorry if any harm came to you. But, Mr. 
Merry, how are you going to fight? I donT see that you 
have get a sword, and I fancy that you^ll not do much exe- 
cution with one of the ship^s cutlasses.” 

I told him that I had got my dirk, and that I hoped to 
make good use of that. 


THE MIDSHirMAH. 


41 


He laughed heartily. 

A tailor'^s bodkin would be of as much use in board- 
ing/^ he answered; ‘^but you shall have one of my pistols: 
the chances are that I do not require either of them. Cold 
steel suits me best. 

I thanked Mr. Johnson warmly, and then asked him 
what orders had been received about attacking. He told 
me that some of the boats were to board on the bows, and 
others on the quarters of the corvette; that a quarter- 
master of the Beaulieu, with a party of men to protect 
him, was to take charge of the helm; that others were to 
fight their way aloft, to let fall the topsails; and that he, 
with his men and another boat^s crew, was to hold posses- 
sion of the forecastle, and to cut the cables. All this was 
to be done in spite of any fighting which might be taking 
place. Some were to sheet home the topsails, and the re- 
mainder were to do their best to overpower the enemy. 
We had got some way, when we caught sight of a strange 
boat inside of us. 

The commander of the expedition, supposing that she 
belonged to the Chevrette,^^ summoning five other boats 
to attend him, made chase to secure her, ordering his sec- 
ond in command to pull slowly on till he rejoined the ex- 
pedition. On we went. As to pulling slow, that was a 
very difiicult thing to do just then. So eager were the 
men, that they couldnT help putting more strength into 
their strokes than they intended. All I know is that the 
nine remaining boats got close up to the harbor^s mouth, 
and that the others had not joined. We lay on our oars, as 
ordered, for a short time. 

What can have become of them?"' exclaimed a lieuten- 
ant in one of the boats. „ . i 

Daylight will be upon us if we don't look sharp, said 

""It would be a disgrace to go back without attempting 
something," cried a third. 

"" We will lose no more tim^ but try what we can do 
without them," said the senior officer of the party. He 
was undoubtedly very eager to lead on the occasion. Cer- 
tain necessary alterations were made. ^ j 

"" Gentlemen, you all know your respective duties, he 
added. ""Then give way!" 

. Eight cheerfully the men bent to their oars, and up the 


42 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


harbor we dashed. I kept looking ahead for the enemy. -I 
knew that as soon as we saw her, she would see us, and 
then the fun would begip, I felt rather nervous, but very 
eager. 

There she is,^^ cried the boatswain. 

Suddenly through the gloom, I saw the tall masts and 
spars of the ship we were to attack. A voice from her 
hailed us in French. Of course our only reply was a hearty 
cheer, and on we dashed faster than ever. Not unmolested 
though. The next moment, sheets of flame darted from 
the ports, from one end of the ship to the other, and 
showers of grape and bullets rattled about our heads. A 
groan, or a cry of anguish from some of the boats, told 
that the emissaries of destruction had taken effect. Thick 
fell the shot, and the next instant a heavy Are opened on us 
from the shore; but nothing stopped our progress. On we 
dashed, and were quickly alongside the enemy. The whole 
side bristled with boarding-spikes, and as we attempted to 
climb up, muskets and pistols were discharged in our faces, 
and tomahawks and sabers came slashing down on our 
heads. Our men cheered and grasped hold of the ship’s 
sides, but again and again were thrust back, and then the 
Frenchmen leaped into our boats, making a dashing effort 
to drive us out of them. They had better have remained 
on their own deJJk, for very few got back. Some did though, 
and formed shields to our men, who climbed up after them. 
Meantime, our boat had boarded, as directed, on the star- 
board bow, but flnding it hopeless to get up there, Mr. 
Johnson dropped astern, and perceiving only one boat on 
the quarter, and space for us to shove in, we hooked on, and 
the next instant were scrambling up the side. I kept close 
to the boatswain. I thought that we were about to gain 
the deck, when the enemy made a rush toward us, and' 
over he went, and I was left clinging to the side, with a 
dozen sabers flashing above my head. As to letting go, I 
never thought of that. I kept Mr. Johnson’s pistol in my 
right hand, and was about to fire, when down came a sword, 
which would have clove my head in two, had not a lieu- 
tenant of marines in the next boat interposed his own 
weapon and saved me. But the act was one of self-devo- 
tion, for the Frenchman brought his saber down on my 
iDreserver’s arm, while another thrust a pike through his 
body, and hurled him back, mortally wounded, to the hot- 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


43 


tom of the boat. I should, after all, have shared the same 
fate, had not Mr. Johnson at that instant recovered him- 
self, and with a shout, loud enough to make our enemies 
quake, up he sprung, and, with one whirl of his cutlass, 
drove the Frenchmen from the side. Over the bulwarks he 
leaped; I and most of the men from the two boats followed. 
But though we had gained the deck, there seemed but little 
chance of our forcing our way forward. 

Our men in the first desperate struggle alongside, had 
lost their fire-arms, and for a few seconds the tall figure of 
our boatswain, as he stood up facing the enemy, ottered a 
mark to a score of muskets aimed at him. The French- 
men, expecting to see him fall, came on boldly. I grasped 
his pistol, hoping to avenge him. 

The forecastle is our station, lads,"*^ he shouted, and 
his stentorian voice was heard above the din of battle. 

Make a lane, there; make a lane, there, he added, dash- 
ing furiously among the enemy. I followed by his side. 
His whirling cutlass flashed round, and sent the French- 
men flying on either side. On we went, intent on our ob- 
ject, bearing down all opposition, to gain the forecastle, 
while another party had got possession of the helm. The 
deck was by this time covered with killed and wounded. 
Many of our men had fallen. We strode over friend and 
foe alike, alive or dead. The break of the forecastle was 
gained. It was desperately defended, but the boatswain, 
clearing with a sweep of his cutlass a spot to stand on, 
sprung up among the astonished Frenchmen. I felt myself 
lifted up after him; our men followed; and though pikes 
were thrust at us, and pistols were flashed in our faces for 
a few seconds, our opponents either leaped overboard, or 
threw themselves on the deck, and sung out for quarter. 
Some of our men, appointed for the purpose, went to the 
head sails, while others instantly cut the cable. I glanced 
my eye upward; the topmeii who had fought their way 
aloft, had cut loose the topsails with their cutlasses, and 
they were now being sheeted home; but the fighting was 
not over; a desperate attempt was being made by the ene- 
my to drive us out of the ship. The boatswain, meantime, 
was uttering his war shouts, issuing orders to the men, and 
dealing death and wounds around. 

Old England forever! hoist the fore-staysail. Back, 
ye Johnny Crapauds! Back, ye French scarecrows! Haul 


44 


THE MIDSHIPMAK. 


away, my lads, and belay all that. Hurrah ! weVe gained 
the day!^^ 

In the latter assertion he was somewhat premature, for 
the French crew, now rallying amidships, made a desper- 
ate attack on the forecastle, but the boatswain^s flash- 
ing weapon literally cut them down like corn before 
the reaper^s scythe, as they came on. Still they pressed 
round us. Most of our men were occupied in making sail. 

A big Frenchman, the boatswain of the ship, I fancy, 
who was almost as big as Jonathan himself, now sprung 
ahead of his comrades to measure his strength with our 
champion. He was evidently a first-rate swordsman, and 
in his progress forward had already cut down two or three 
of our men. He shouted something to his companions: it 
was, as I suspected, to tell them to try and wound Mr. 
Johnson while he was engaging him in front. I had hith- 
erto grasped the pistol he had given me, but had not fired 
it. I felt for the lock. On came the Frenchmen; Mr. 
Johnson had need of all his skill to keep his enemies at bay. 
The French boatswain pressed him desperately hard. One 
of his mates rushed in, and was bringing down his cutlass 
with a terrible sweep, which would have half cut our boat- 
swain in two, when, raising my pistol, I fired at the man’s 
head. The bullet went through his brain, and his cutlass, 
though wounding Johnson slightly in the leg, fell to the 
deck. The boatswain’s weapon meantime was not idle, and 
at the same moment, it descended with a sweep which cut 
the Frenchman’s head nearly in two, and he fell dead 
among his comrades. It was at this instant the French 
discovered that their ship was under way. Sauve qui 
pent /” was the cry. Some jumped overboard, and endeav- 
ored to swim on sliore. Many leaped below, either in fear 
or with determination, still to carry on the fight, and oth- 
ers threw down their arms and cried for mercy. Hot a 
cutlass was raised on them after that, but the fellows who 
had fled below had got possession of some muskets, and 
began firing at all of us who appeared near the hatchways. 
A party of our men, however, leaped down among them and 
quickly put a stop to their proceedings. 

The ship was now completely under our command ; the 
sails filled, she felt the helm, and was standing down the 
harbor. Though it appeared to me nearly an hour, if not 
more, I found that not five minutes had passed since the 
1 1 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


45 


boats got alongside. But we were not quite free. We 
were congratulating ourselves on our success, when a shot 
whistled between our masts, followed by another, and a 
heavy battery opened- upon us. We were too busy to reply 
to it, and the men went about their work just as coolly as 
if nothing was occurring. The wind was light, and we 
were a long time exposed to the fire of the battery. Mr. 
Johnson, between pulling and hauling, for he lent a hand 
to everybody, apostrophized the masts, and urged them 
not to get shot away. He evidently thought more of them 
just then than of anything else. They were in his depart- 
ment. 

wonder, Mr. Johnson, whether any of us will have 
to change heads?^'’ said I. 

^^If you and I did, youM look rather funny with my mug 
on your shoulders,^' he answered, with a loud laugh. 

Even your own mother wouldnT know you, I suspect. 

J list then a shower of grape came rattling round us, and 
though I could hear the shot whistling by, close to my ears, 
not one of us was hit. I could not help wishing that a 
breeze would spring up, and carry us clear of the unpleas- 
ant neighborhood. Just then the missing boats arrived, 
and rather surprised our friends were to find that we had 
alreiidy secured the prize. Though too late to help to take 
her, they were of great assistance in towing her out of range 
of the enemy^’s batteries, and I believe some of the poor 
fellows in them were hit while so employed. At length a 
breeze sprung up, and all sail being made, right merrily 
we glided out of the enemy^s harbor, much, undoubtedly, 
to their disgust and to our very great satisfaction. 

Now came the sad work of counting the killed and 
wounded. We had lost twelve of the former, two being 
officers, and nearly five times that number wounded; while 
we found that the corvette had her captain, three lieutenants, 
and three midshipmen, and eighty-five seamen and soldiers 
killed, being ninety-two killed, though only sixty-two were 
wounded. The deck was a complete shambles : the wounded 
were carried below, friends and foes alike, though the dead 
Frenchmen were hove overboard at once. Our own dead, 
being not so numerous, were kept to be committed to the 
deep with more ceremony in the morning. Among them 
was a midshipman. I could not help lifting iq) the flag 
which covered his face. Poor fellow, there he lay, stiff 


40 


THE HTDSHIPMAK. 


and stark I A jovial laughing fellow he had been, cracking 
his jokes but a few minutes before, just as we were enter- 
ing the harbor. Such might have been my fate. He had 
fallen, though in the path of duty. He had been ordered 
to come. I felt more sad, and was more thoughtful than 
I had ever been in my life before. How long I stood there 
I do not know. Mr. Johnsonk voice aroused me. 

I haven^t had time to speak to you before, Mr. Merry,” 
said he. You did very well — very well indeed. Jona- 

than Johnson thanks you from the bottom of his heart; that 
he does. If it hadn^t been for your steady aim, and the 
unfailing accuracy of my pistol which you fired, 1 should 
now be among those lying there, covered with glory — a very 
fine thing in theory to be covered with, hut, practically, I 
would rather he alive, and have less of it. However, I 
mustn^t stop talking here. By the bye, therek Mr. Bryan 
has found you out. I will tell him how you have behaved, 
and I dare say that hell not get you into trouble, if he can 
help it.” 

I thought that would be very kind in Mr. Bryan. It did 
not occur to me that I had done anything to be proud of; 
nor had I, indeed. I had done what I ought not to have 
done. I wanted to see some fighting; I had seen it, and 
just then I felt that I did not want to see any more. The 
face of that dead midshipman haunted me. I had had a 
sort of notion that midshipmen could not be killed, and 
now I had had proof positive to the contrary. I felt un- 
usually grave and sad. For along time I could not get the 
face out of my head. I believe that it contributed to sober 
me, and to prevent me from being the reckless creature I 
might otherwise have become. 

Day broke as we hove in sight of the squadron, and loud 
cheers saluted us as we brought up in triumph among them. 
A prize crew was put in charge of the captured ship, and I 
returned in the pinnace with the boatswain to the Doris.” 
I was in hopes of getting on board without being observed, 
but too many eyes were gazing down on us for me to do 
that. Spellman was, of course, one of the first to discover 
me. 

^^What, you there, hop-o’-me T” he exclaimed, ^^how 
did you tumble into the boat?” 

Donl answer him,” whispered the boatswain, as we 


THE MIDSHIPMAl^. 


47 


climbed up the side; ^^111 let him know what I think of 
you and him. 

I ran down below as fast as I could to change my clothes 
and wash, for I was dreadfully dirty, coyered from head to 
foot with powder and blood. The first person I encountered 
was Toby Bluff. 

Oh, Muster Merry, Muster Merry! Be you really and 
truly alive?'''' he exclaimed, throwing his arms round my 
neck, and bursting into tears. They told me you was 
gone away to be killed by the Frenchmen, and I never ex- 
pected to see you more; that I didnT. But is it yourself, 
squire? You look awful smoky and bloody loike. Where 
are all the wounds? You"!! be bleeding to death, sure. 
Let me run for the doctor. 

He would have been off like a shot, but I assured him I 
was not hurt. After he was satisfied that such v/as the 
case, I dispatched him to the cook^s galley to procure some 
hot water, with which, and the aid of soap, I managed 
speedily to get rid of the stains of the fight. By the time 
I got to rights, breakfast was on the table, and I went into 
the berth, and sat myself down as if nothing had hap- 
pened. I flattered myself that my messmates looked at me 
with considerable respect, though they badgered me not a 
little. 

Where have you been, youngster ?^^ said one. You^ll 

catch it, my boy!^" 

What have you been about. Merry?” asked old Perigal, 
who was rather annoyed at not having been allowed to go. 

Getting most kicks or halfpence, I wonder? but Gluty is 
duty, and discipline is discipline,'’ as the master remarks; 
and you mustn^t be playing these pranks, my boy, or youdl 
get knocked on the head, or turned but of the service. 
Overzeal is not approved of at head-quarters."^ 

I went on eating my breakfast with perfect equanimity, 
and I very soon found that my messmates were eager to 
have an account of the expedition, which I was able to give 
them with tolerable clearness. I was still somewhat uncom- 
fortable as to what the captain would say, and, before long, 
he sent for me. I went trembling. He received me, how- 
ever, very kindly, though he was somewhat grave: 

^'The boatswain speaks in the highest terms of your 
coolness and courage, and says that you saved his life. I 
am therefore willing to overlook your infraction of the 


48 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


rules of discipline on this occasion, but remember that, 
however well you may behave in other respects, you can 
never make wrong right. In consequence of this, I can 
not speak of your bravery in public as I should have liked 
to do."^ 

This was a good deal for the captain to say, and more, I 
felt conscious, than I deserved. The officers were very civil 
to me, and I felt that I had certainly risen in public esti- 
mation, and was no longer looked upon as a little boy. 

A few days after this, Spellman came into the berth in a 
great rage, stating that he had overheard the boatswain say 
that Mr. Merry was worth his weight in gold, and that he, 
Spellman, was not worth his in paving-stones. 

Listeners never hear any good of themselves,” observed 

one. 


And if you are not worth your weight in paving-stones, 
I should Like to know what you are worth?” asks old 
Perigal. 

I am much obliged to the boatswain for his good opin- 
ion of me,” said I. But he probably was thinking of 
the saying that London is paved with gold, and meant to 
say that you were worth your weight in gold paving-stones.” 

That may be,^^ answered Spellman, willing to be paci- 
fied: but I can not say I liked his tone.” 

On this there was a general laugh. The boatswain^s tone 
was well known. It was wonderful what withering con- 
.tempt he could throw into it. The men dreaded it more 
than they did even his rattan, and that, in his hand, was a 
somewhat formidable weapon. I remembered his promise 
when Spellman was quizzing me, on our return from capt- 
uring the Chevrctte,” and I found that he had fulfilled it. 
I thanked him the next time we met ofi: duty. 

Yes, Mr. Merry; I like to serve my friends, and serve 
out my enemies. Not that poor Mr. Spellman is an enemy 
of yours or mine; but — I say it with all due respect — he is a 
goose, and I like to baste geese. ” 

I did not repeat to Spellman what Mr. Johnson had said 
of him. I had an intuitive feeling that it was harmful to 
tell a person what another says of him, except it happens 
to be something especially pleasant. I believe more ill- 
blood and mischief is created in that way than in any 
other. 

Soon after this, we sailed on a cruise to the westward. 


1?HE MIDSHIPMAIT. 


49 


for the purpose of intercepting some of the enemy^s home- 
ward-bound merchantmen. Noth withstanding what I have 
said of Spellman, I was in reality on very good terms with 
him. He was continually playing me tricks; but then I 
paid him oft in his own coin. I had, however, made the 
friendship of another messmate, George Gray by name. He 
was about my own age and size, and came from Leicester- 
shire, but from a difterent part of the county to that where 
my family lived. I liked him, because he was such an 
honest, upright little fellow. No bullying or persuasion 
could make him do what he thought wrong. I do not mean 
to say that he never did anything that was wrong. When 
he did, it was without reflection. I never knew him to do 
premeditated harm. We stuck by each other on all occasions; 
skylarked together, studied navigation together; and when 
we were together, the biggest bully in the mess held us in 
respect. Mr. Johnson liked George Gray as much as he 
did me. 

I had never yet got the boatswain to commence his his- 
tory. I told Gray that I was determined to get it out of 
him, as it was certain to be amusing, though we agreed 
that we were not bound to believe all he said. He cer- 
tainly was an extraordinary character. A boaster and a 
man (I do not like to use a harsh term) who is addicted to 
saying what is not true, is generally found to be a coward, 
and often a bully: whereas my worthy friend was as brave 
as a lion, and, gruft as was his voice, as gentle as a lamb, 
as he used to say of himself, if people would but stroke 
him the right way; and I can assert a kinder-hearted mon- 
ster never lived. Gray and I, one afternoon when it was 
our watch below, found him in his cabin. He was taking 
his after-dinner potation of rum and water yclept ''grog,'" 
and reading by the light of a purser's dip. 

"Come in young gentlemen, come in, and be seated," 
he sung out; and as we willingly obeyed, he added, '^This 
is what I call enjoyment — ^food for the mind and moisture 
for the whistle. MVe have not many opportunities for men- 
tal improvement and the enjoyment of light literature, as 
you may have discovered by this time; and to a man like 
myself, of refined taste, that is one of the greatest draw- 
backs to our noble profession. " 

Gray and I did not exactly understand what he meant; 
but, after letting him run on for a little time, we told him 


50 


THE MEDSHIPMAH. 


why we had come, and begged him to indulge us by com- 
mencing at once. 

There is, as you sagaciously observe, young gentlemen, 
no time like the present for doing a thing which is to be 
done; and so — and he cleared his throat with a sound 
which ran along the decks — I will begin. But remem- 
ber, now, 1^11 have no doubting — no caviling. If you donT 
choose to believe what I say, you need not listen any more. 
I will not submit to have my word called in question. 

Heave ahead!” said a voice outside; I suspected it was 
Spellman’s. I soon found that there were several other 
listeners, and was afraid Jonathan would refuse to go on; 
but, in reality, he liked to have a large audience, and sea- 
soned his descriptions accordingly. Again he cleared his 
throat, and said — 

I’ll begin — as I remarked. My mother was a wonder- 
ful woman. I have a great respect for her memory. Joan of 
Arc, Queen Dido, or the Eoman Daughter could not hold 
a candle to her. She was up to anything, and, had oppor- 
tunities offered, would have been the first woman of her 
age. As it was, she made herself pretty well known in the 
world, as you shall hear. When she was quite a young 
woman, she once on a time became a first lieutenant of a 
dashing frigate. When the captain was killed, she took the 
fillip into action, fought two line-of-battle ships broadside 
to broadside, and then, when there was not a stick left 
standing, carried them by boarding. She would have 
brought both of them into port, but one went down from 
the severe hammering she had given them. You doubt 
what I am telling you, young gentlemen, do you? Well, 
then. I’ll give you proof enough to satisfy any candid mind 
that I am speaking the truth. You must know that there 
is a song written about her; and, of course, if she hadn’t 
(lone what I have been telling you it wouldn’t have been 
written. It runs thus: 

“ ‘Billy Taylor was a. smart young sailor, 

Full of life and full of glee, 

And lie went a-courting Molly Nailor, 

A maiden fair of high degree. ’ 

That maiden fair was my mother. Billy Taylor, do 
you see, went a-courting her, and swore that he loved her 
better than the apple of his eye, or a ship-load of prize- 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


51 


money, and no end of glasses of grog, and fifty other things, 
and that her cheeks were like roses from Persia, and her 
breath sweeter than the essence pf all the gales of Araby 
that ever blew, and all that sort of thing. She believed 
him, for she was young and tender-hearted, and did not 
know what horrible falsehoods some men can tell. I do 
hate a fellow who doesn^t speak the truth. Now, do you 
see, that scoundrel Taylor was only bamboozling her all 
the time, for he went away and fell in with another lady 
who had more of the shiners, though less beauty, and he 
having brought to bear the whole broadside of false oaths 
he had been firing away at my respected mother, the other 
lady struck her flag and became his wife. Like other wild 
blades of his stamp, he soon ran through all the poor girPs 
money, so he wasn^t a bit the better for it, and she was 
very much the worse. When she had no more left for him 
to lay his hand on, he had to go to sea again. 

My mother, who w^as not my mother then, you^ll under- 
stand, because IwasnT born till some years after that — and 
I am proud to say that my father was a very different man to 
Billy Taylor. He was an honest man; and when Miss 
Naylor found out all about Billy Taylbr^s treachery, she 
resolved to be avenged on him. He had entered on board 
the ^ Thunderbomb,'’ and she heard of it. Accordingly she 
rigged, herself out in a suit of seaman^s clothes, and as her 
father was a seaman — an officer, of course (my parentage 
was respectable on both sides) — and she knew all about 
seaman^’s ways and sa3dngs, she very easily passed for one. 

^‘^One fine morning, off she set in her new toggery 
for Portsmouth, where the ^ Thunder^ was fitting out. 
She had provided herself with a loaded pistol, which she 
kept in her pocket, vowing to revenge herself on the traitor 
Taylor. 

‘^As the ^ Thunder^ was short of hands, the captain 
w'as very glad^o enter the smart young seaman slie seemed 
to be when she presented herself before him. 

Billy Taylor was aboard, and when she caught sight of 
his face she had some difficulty in keeping her fingers off it, 
I believe you. Not that she was otherwise, Pll have you 
understand, than a mild-tempered woman, when she had 
her own way, but she had received a good deal of provoca- 
tion, you'll allow. The deceiver didn't know her, and all 
went on smoothly for some time. She proved herself so 


52 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


smart and active a seaman (or sea-woman — I should say a 
mermaid, eh?) that she soon got made captain of the main- 
top over the head of Billy Taylor and many older hands. 
How they would have fired up had they known the truth! 

At last the ^ Thunder ^ sailed down Channel, and my 
mother began to fancy that all the things that she had 
heard about Taylor might be false, and all her old feeling 
for him came back. However, as his ill luck would have it, 
the ship put into Plymouth Sound, and as she lay there a 
boat came off from Causand with a lady in it. 

Billy Taylor watched the boat till she came alongside, 
and when the lady stepped on deck he kissed her lips and 
folded her in his arms. 

Miss Naylor was standing by. The scene was too much 
for her. 

^^^Oh, you foul traitor!^ she exclaimed, drawing her 
pistol just as the lady and the deceiver Billy were walking 
forward hand in hand. ^Take that!^ 

Off went the pistol, and the false lover tumbled over 
as dead as a herring. The lady, at first, was inclined to 
go into Avhat the uneducated sailors call high-strikes — you 
understand, young gentlemen; but she was a strong-mind- 
ed woman, and when she heard how Billy had been deceiv- 
ing another girl, she said it served him right, and that she 
would have nothing more to say to him, dead or alive; and, 
stepping into her boat, away she went ashore at Causand, 
where she had come from. 

^^The captain of the ‘Thunder,^ when he found out 
that my mother was a woman, and how she had been 
treated by Billy Taylor, as the song says, ^ very much ap- 
proved of what shoo'd done,^ and declared that she- wjTs a 
fine-spirited girl (which she certainly had proved herself to 
he), and that he would make her his first lieutenant as soon 
as there was a vacancy. Y on see they did things differentl)/' 
in those days to what they do now. No one ever hears now 
of a young woman being made first lieutenant, though it is 
said there are many old women higher up in the list; but it 
wouldnT become me, holding the subordinate situation of a 
boatswain, to credit the fact. The captain very soon had 
an opportunity of fulfilling his word, for in a very short 
time me ship went into action, and his next in command 
being killed, he gave Miss Naylor the death vacancy, 
and then she became first lieutenant of the gallant ^ Thun* 


THE MIDSHIPMAK. 


53 


derbomb/ However, young gentlemen, I must put a 
stopper on my jaw-tackle just now. I have had uninvited 
listeners to my veracious and authentic history, and I hope 
they have benefited by it. 

Mr. J ohnson placed his finger on the side of his nose, and 
winked one of his piercing eyes. 

‘'^The fact is. Hike to indulge in my faculty of invention 
and amplification, and you may possibly have an idea that 
I have done so in the account I have, given you of my 
female parentis early adventures. Ho! ho! ho!^^ and he 
heaved back, and indulged in a low, hoarse laugh, such as 
a facetious hippopotamus might be supposed to produce on 
hearing a good pun made by an alligator. 

Spellman, and the rest who had been listening outside, 
on this, beat a retreat, suspecting, probably, that the boat- 
swain had been laughing at them. 

Our watch was called, and Gray and I had to go on deck. 
I had by this time picked up a large amount of miscel- 
laneous nautical knowledge; so had Toby in his way. As 
to going aloft, or in feats of activity, few of the other mid- 
shipmen could beat me. I said that I could swim well. 
Our father had taught us all at an early age, and I could 
accomplish the passage across the mill-pond five times and 
back without resting. Toby, too, after I had saved him 
from drowning, had learned the art. It was fortunate f(T 
us that we have done so. 

We had returned unsuccessful from our cruise to the 
westward, and were somewhere about the chops of the 
Channel. Night was coming on, and it was blowing very 
fresh. 

A. sail on the lee bow!” shouted the lookout from the 
mast-head. The wind was south-west, and the frigate was 
close-hauled, heading toward Ushant. 

What do you make of her? Which way is she stand- 
ing?” asked CajDtain Collyer, who was on deck. 

Looks like a lugger, standing up Channel,” was the 
answer. 

Up with the helm, keep her away!” exclaimed the 
captain. 

All hands make sail.” 

In an instant the men were hauling on tacks and sheets, 
braces and bowlines; the yards were squared away, stud- 
ding, sails were set, and off we flew before the wind like an 


54 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


eagle at its prey. The chase kept on before the wind. I 
had gone up into the fore-top, though I had no business to 
be there, but it it happened to be the station of my particu- 
lar chum. Gray, and I could enjoy a better sight of the 
chase from thence, than elsewhere. 

As the evening advanced, the wind increased, but we were 
gaining rapidly on the chase, and of course the captain was 
unwilling to shorten sail. IStays and braces grew tauter and 
tauter, studding-sail-booms cracked, and the top-gallant- 
masts bent like willow wands. 

We are going to get it,^^ observed the captain of the 

top. 

He was right. Away flew the main-topgallant studding- 
sail; the topmast studding-sail followed. At the same mo- 
ment, the foremost guns with a loud roar sent a couple of 
shot after the chase. It was getting dark, but I felt sure 
that one had struck her counter. Still she held on, and we 
continued in chase, she carrying as much sail as she could 
stagger under. 

We shall carry the masts out of the ship if we donT 
look sharp,” observed the captain of the top. 

Tlie yards cracked more than ever. 

All hands shorten sail,” cried the captain from the 
deck. In with the studding-sails. ” 

When the men went out on the foreyard, I, to show my 
activity and daring to my messmate Gray, went out also. 
The frigate had begun to pitch and roll a little. By some 
means I lost my hold, and should have fallen on deck and 
been killed, had she not rolled at the moment to starboard, 
and sent me flying overboard. 

There goes poor Marmaduke Merry,” shouted Gray. 

I was plunged under the water, but quickly rose to see 
the frigate flying by me. As she passed, something was 
thrown from the deck, and the next instant I observed, I 
fancied, some one leap from themiizzen chains. I did not 
for a moment suppose that I was going to be drowned, but 
how I was to be saved, I could not divine. I swam on till 
I got hold of a grating which had been thrown to me, and 
had not long seated myself on it when I heard a voice 
sing out: 

All right. Master Marmaduke; I said IM go wherever 
you did, but to my mind now it would have been better to 
have stayed on board.” 


THE MIDSHIPMAK. 


55 


It was Toby, and after I had helped him up alongside 
me, I assured him that I agreed with his remark, but that 
I could not help it. I looked anxiously for the frigate. 
Her mighty form could only just be distinguished through 
the gloom, and the lugger could nowhere be seen. 

This isn^t pleasant, said I. But keep up your spirits, 
Toby. I suppose the frigate will turn to look for us, and 
if not, we must hold on till the morning, when I hope we 
may be picked up by some ship or other. 

Ne^er fear. Master Marmaduke,^^ answered Toby. If 
you think it’s all right, I^m happy. 

I certainly did not think it all right, for in a short time 
it became so dark that we could scarcely see our hands held 
up before our eyes. As to seeing the frigate, that was out 
of the question, even if she passed close to us. Happily the 
gale did not increase, and we were able to hold on to our 
frail raft. We couldn^t talk much. I felt anything but 
merry. Suddenly the grating received a blow, and I saw a 
dark object rising up before us. I was thrown against it. 
It was the side of a vessel. I should have been knocked off 
the grating had I not found a stout rope in my hand. I 
drew Toby to me, we both clutched it; the grating slipped 
from under our feet, and there we were hanging on to the 
side of a strange craft. We shouted out, and were at once 
drawn on board, and by the light of a lantern, which was 
held up to examine us, I found that we were on board a 
small vessel, and surrounded by Frenchmen. 


CHAPTER IV. 

The craft on board which Toby Bluff and I so unexpect- 
edly found ourselves, was a lugger, as I discovered by per- 
ceiving her yards lying fore and aft along the decks. It 
was evident that her sails had been lowered when the squall 
came on, and so she had not been observed as the frigate 
shot by in the darkness. Owing to this circumstance our 
lives had in all probability been saved. Not that I thought 
about that at the time; on the contrary, from the fierce 
looks of our captors, I fancied that they were going to 
knock us on the head, and I wished that we were safe back 
on our raft again. Toby seemed to -feel much as I did. 

"'Oh, Muster Merry! be these here fellows going to eat 
us?'" he asked, in a tone of alarm. 


56 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


IJiope not^ Toby/" I answered. If they take us, but- 
tons and all, we shall stick in their throats, that"s one com- 
fort. However, we will try and put a good face on the mat- 
ter, and, whatever happens, we won"t be cast down; only 
I hope they will not treat us as we have often treated mill- 
ers" thumbs, and throw us into the water again. "" 

While Toby and I were exchanging remarks, the French- 
men were talking to each other and occasionally asking us 
questions, I supposed; but as we did not understand a word 
of each other"s language, neither party was much the wiser. 
I looked about me. The lugger "s decks were crowded with 
men, and she had several guns cast loose, ready for action. 
She was, there could be no doubt, a privateer. I knew 
that the crews of such vessels were often composed of the 
worst and most unscrupulous of characters, and I expected 
nothing very pleasant at their hands. At last the captain, 
who had been looking out forward at our ship, came up to 
us. 

So you One little officer of dat frigate dere?"" he ob- 
served. 

Yes,"" said I, rather proudly, I have that honor."" 

So — ?"" He gave forth a particularly unpleasant sound 
from his throat. You b^tes Anglish, you send my wessel 
to bottom last cruise, and sixty of my braves garqons wid 
her. I vow I send every Anglishman I catch to look for 
them. S-a-a — "" 

He looked so vicious that I thought he would execute his 
threat forthwith. I did my best, however, to put on a bold 
front. 

'AVhereabouts did this happen, monsieur?"" I asked, 
quite coolly. 

Some twenty leagues to eastward dere,"" he answered, 
looking hard at me. 

"'And which way is the tide making?"" I inquired. I 
happened to have heard the master observe just before I 
went aloft that the tide had only then made to the west- 
ward. 

"It is vat you call ebb,"" said the French captain. 

" Then you see, monsieur, that there is no use throwing 
us overboard just now, because we should drift away to 
the westward, and your late vessel and crew must be some- 
where to the eastward,"" said I, as boldly as I could, though 
I had no little difficulty in getting out the words. 


THE MIDSHIPMAK. 


57 


Ah! you von Jack-a-napes, yon von ponle — littel fight- 
ing cock, I see,^^ he remarked, in an altered tone. Veil, 
you stay aboard; you sweep my cabin; you like dat better 
dan drown. 

Certainly, monsieur, very much better, said I, consid- 
erably relieved; I shall be very happy to serve you in any 
way I can, consistent with my honor, and perhaps you’ll 
let this boy here help me?” 

^‘^Bah, no!” answered the captain, giving a contemptu- 
ous glance at poor Toby. ^‘^He only fit to sweep out the 
fore hole. ” 

I saw that it would not be wise to say anything more, so 
I held my tongue. 

The captain said a few words to the men, and while one 
led poor Toby forward, another conducted me toward the 
companion hatch. Toby turned an imploring look at me, 
and struggled violently. 

^^Oh, Muster Merry! Muster Merry, they be going to 
cut our throats and heave us overboard. I know they bees; 
but don’t let them do it till I comes to be with ee,” he 
cried out. ^‘^Don’^t ee, now, muster, don’t ee.” 

Poor Toby, finding that he could not get loose, began 
kicking and struggling, and shouting out at the top of his 
voice. This seemed to afford infinite amusement to the 
Frenchmen, who imitated him; but, in spite of all his ef- 
forts, dragged him forward. I, in the meantime, was taken 
aft, and had Just reached the companion hatch, down which 
the men were going to thrust me*, when the captain came 
running along the deck, shouting out to his crew. Mycaj)- 
tors let go of me. In an instant, the halyards, tacks, and 
sheets were manned; sail was rapidly made; and, two or 
more reefs having been taken in, away we stood, close-hauled 
as near to the north-west as the wind would allow. I soon 
learned the reason of this proceeding. To my great joy, 
on looking eastward, I discovered the frigate looming 
through the darkness, about half-gun-shot distance from us. 
Whether the lugger was seen by those on board’ or not was 
a question. I rather suspected that Captain C’ollyer had 
stood back to look for Toby and me, though it was almost 
as hopeless as looking for a needle in a bundle of hay. I 
felt very sure that he would search for us, and that he 
would rather lose the chance of capturing the schooner than 
lose us; indeed, I hope that there are not many naval of- 


58 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


fleers wlio would not have done the same. I anxiously 
watched the Doris/^ to see what she would do. The 
Frenchmen very naturally believed that she was coming 
after them. While the men were flattening in the sheets, 
Toby made his escape, and came up to me. 

Oh, Muster Merry, who be these people? Where be they 
taking us to? What be they going to do to us?^"* he asked 
in a subdued frightened tone. 

Never mind,'’^ said I, look there.” 

I pointed to the frigate, which, as far as I could judge, 
seeing her through the darkness, had three reefs down in 
her top-sails, and was standing toward us, heeling over to 
the gale. 

Hurra!” shouted Toby. ^^All right now; she’ll soon 
be sending this here craft to the bottom. Hurra!” 

Very likely,” said I. But we, perhaps, shall have 
to go with her, and, just now, the less noise we make the 
better, or the Frenchmen may be sending us below. ” 

Toby was silent. 

No sooner were the lugger’s sails hoisted than she was 
perceived, and in half a minute, to set the matter at rest, 
a shot from a thirty-nine pounder came flying between the 
masts. Toby ducked his head. He saw, however, that I 
did not move mine. I had had so many flying about my 
ears the night we took the ^^Chevrette” that I had got 
quite accustomed to them. Another shot came, and Toby’s 
head did not move, as far as I could see. I dare say he 
blinked his eyes a little; but, as it was dark, I am not 
certain. It was a trial to our nerves, for the shot whistled 
near our shoulders, and, though we could not heljD feeling 
proud of our shipmates’ gunnery practice, we would rather 
that they had not aimed so well. i 

I say, Toby, if, like the boatswain’s acquaintance, you 
get my head on your shoulders, be honest; don’t go and pass 
yourself off for me,” I observed. 

Lor, Muster Merry, I wouldn’t so far to go to forget 
myself,” he answered, with an expression of horror in his 
voice. 

His tone, more than the words, made me burst into a fit 
of laughter. 

You gar9on not laugh long,” observed the captain, as 
he hurried aft to take a look at the compass. You merry 
now, you cry soon.” , , 


TUE MlDSlMi’MAlSr. 


59 


laugh while I can; it^s my nature to be merry, 
captain,” I answered, determined to appear as brave as pos- 
sible. ' But I say, captain, what does that big ship want 
you to do?” 

Ah, you von little rogue,” he answered, less angrily 
than I might have expected. You go below, or you get 
head knock off.” 

""Thank you,” said I. ""But I may have to go lower 
than I like if I do, so I would rather stay on deck and see 
what is going forward. ” 

The captain merely answered, "" Bah,” as if he had too 
much to think of just then, to trouble himself about us, 
and issued some orders to his crew. Two long guns were 
immediately cast loose and pointed at the frigate. 

""They canT hope to contend with her,” I observed to 
Bluff. But they did though, and began blazing away in 
right good earnest. They fired high, for their object was 
to wing her. If they could have knocked some of her 
spars away they would have had a better chance of escaping. 

The lugger was evidently a very fast craft, and held her 
own wonderfully. This was soon perceived on board the 
frigate, which began to fire more rapidly than before. 
Captain Collyer had not spared powder and shot, and, 
since we left port, the men had been every day exercised 
at the guns. The result was now apparent by the number 
of shot which passed through the sails of the lugger, or 
struck her. Still the Frenchmen seemed in no way in- 
clined to yield. The captain stood aft, issuing his orders 
with the greatest coolness. His officers were much less 
collected, and kept running about with ropes in their 
hands, frequently striking the men if they flinched from 
their guns. The lugger, which was really a very powerful 
vessel of some two hundred and fifty tons, tore through 
the seas, which came in cataracts over her bows, deluging 
her fore and aft. 

I was glad that Toby and I were near the companion 
hatch, that we might hold on tight to it. The scene was 
stirring in the extreme; rather more than was pleasant in- 
deed. I did not like the state of things, and Toby^s teeth 
began to chatter in his head. It was very dark. The 
wind roared through the rigging; the -sails, extended to the 
utmost, would, I thought, burst from the bolt-ropes, or 
carry the stout mast out of the vessel. The lugger heeled 


60 


THE MIDSILXPHAH. 


over till the men at the guns were up to their knees in 
water, and at last they could only fire as she rolled to wind- 
ward. It must be remembered that the frigate was to lee- 
ward. Though she sailed faster than the lugger, the latter 
was weathering on her. My knowledge of seamanship 
scarcely enabled me to form a correct judgment as to the 
Frenchman's chance of escape, but still I did not fancy 
that anything could run away from the Doris — our 
frigate — which, I was fully persuaded, was the perfection 
of naval architecture, and everything a shi]) should be. 
The Frenchmen were all this time wonderfully silent, 
except when a shot whistled jxast their ears or struck the ves- 
sel, and then they gave way to volleys of oaths and execra- 
tions, the meaning of which, however, I did not under- 
stand. They appeared very resolute, and I thought fully 
expected to escape. 

On we tore through the raging sea, and often so blinded 
were we with the showers of spray which fell on board, that 
the flashes of the guns alone showed us the position of the 
frigate. I was saying that I was sure Captain Oollyer 
would do his best to pick Toby and me up, and now, when 
I saw him chasing the lugger, it occurred to me that he 
must have either guessed that we were on board her, or that 
he muslf have come to the conclusion that we were lost. 

I wonder what they are saying about us?” I remarked, 
partly to Toby and partly to myself. Mr. Johnson will 
be sorry for us, and so will Gray, and so, I really believe, 
will old Perigal. I donT think Spellman will, though. I 
rather suspect heJl be for constituting himself my heir, and 
taken possession of my books and things. However, I 
hope we may some day get on board again, and make him 
disgorge. ” 

There did not seem much chance of that though. Every 
moment I expected, should a shot not send her first to the 
bottom, to see the lugger run her bows right under, as she 
tore on through the raging waters. The frigate seemed to 
be gaining v^ry little, if at all, on us. The Frenchmen 
naturally calculated on the darkness increasing, and when 
once out of her sight, on being able to alter their course, 
and get clear away. I devoutly hoped that they would not. 
Hours, it seemed to me, passed away; still the lugger and 
the frigate held their relative positions, the latter firing 
occasionally, but the Frenchmen, after a time, ceased doing 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


61 


so; indeed, in the heavy sea running, they could scarcely 
work their guns. The wind increased, but there was no 
sign of shortening sail; the sky sent down deluges of rain; 
it became darker than ever. I had never, I thought, taken 
my eyes off the frigate, except when the spray dashed over 
me, and compelled me to close them for a moment. I was 
looking in the direction where I had last seen her. 

Bluff, do you see her?'’^ I exclaimed suddenly, rubbing 
my eyes at the same time with all my might, to bring back 
the object I had lost. 

No, Muster Merry. To my mind she isnT there, he 
answered positively. 

The Frenchmen were of the same opinion, for I heard 
them chatting away together, and laughing heartily. Still 
we continued on the same tack. Indeed, to go abou|; would 
have been a dangerous operation, and to wear would have 
lost ground, and very likly have brought the lugger back 
in sight of the frigate. No one had taken any notice of us 
for a long time. The captain now came to the companion. 

Ah, you brave gar9on, come here,'’^ he said, as he de- 
scended. 

Giving Bluff a pull, as a sign to come after me, I fol- 
lowed him below. A bright lamp swung from the deck above, 
and exhibited a well-furnished, if not a luxurious cabin, 
with a table in the center, on which, secured in the usual 
way, were bottles and glasses, and deep dishes containing 
various sorts of viands. 

Come, you hungry; sit down,^^ said the captain, an 
order which I very gladly obeyed, though it was far from 
easy to stick on my chair, or to convey the food to my 
mouth. 

Pierre shouted the captain, and a man, who seemed 
to be his steward, got up from a corner of the cabin where 
he had been asleep, [and stood ready to wait on us. The 
captain motioned him to give some bread and sausage to 
Toby, who retired with it to the door, where he sat down 
to eat it at his leisure. 

Our host did not talk much. He put a few questions as 
to the number of the Dorises "" guns, and their length and 
weight of metal, and whether she was reputed a fast sailer; 
to all which questions I gave Iionest answers, and he seemed 
satisfied. He rapidly devoured liis food, and was evidently 
in a hurry to be on deck again. This made me fancy that 


62 


THE MIHSHIPHAK. 


he was not quite so certain of having escaped, the frigate as 
I had at first supposed. A glass of hot wine and water 
raised my spirits, for I had been so long in my wet clothes, 
that, although the weather was warm, I had become very 
chilly. Without asking his leave, I handed a glass to Toby, 
who wanted it as much as I did. The captain said noth- 
ing, but when he got up to go on deck, he told me that we 
might take off our clothes, and turn into one of the bej’ths 
to get warm. At firsti was going to do so; but I could not 
help fancying that some accident might happen, and that 
I would rather be dressed, so I sat down with Toby on the 
deck, holding on by the legs of the table. 

The steward, having stowed away the things, went and 
lay down in his corner, and soon, by his loud snores, showed 
that he was again fast asleep. Toby quickly followed his 
example; and I had been dozing for some time, though I 
thought that I was awake when I was aroused by the report 
of a gun overhead. The lamp had gone out, and left a 
strong odor of oil in the close cabin. The gray light of 
dawn streamed down the companion hatch. Calling Toby, 
I jumped on deck. There, away to leeward, was the 
frigate, within gunshot distance, but tliis time the lugger 
liad begun the fight, and she had not yet fired. The wind 
had lessened, and the sea had gone down considerably. 
The frigate was on our lee quarter, and I saw that, as soon 
as she opened her fire, our chance would be a very small 
one. 

The Trench captain, and his officers and men, had got 
two guns over the quarter, having cut away some of the 
bulwarks, and were energetically working them, with des- 
peration ^tamped on their countenances, Toby and I 
stood, as before, holding to the companion hatch, and this 
time — I must confess it — my teeth, as well as his, chat- 
tered with the cold, and damp, and agitation. No one took 
any notice of us. The Frenchmen were again aiming high, 
in the hope of knocking away some of the frigate^s spars. 
They were brave fellows; I could not help admiring them. 
Shot followed shot in rapid succession. I wondered that 
Captain Collyer^s patience was not exhausted. 

There! I know^d they^d do it,” exclaimed Toby, sud- 
denly. And catch it if they did!” he added. 

As he spoke I saw a white splinter glance from the fore- 
topmast of the frigate, while a rent appeared in the sail 


THE MIDSHIPMAK. 


63 


The Frenchmen shouted as if they had done a clever thing, 
but they had little to shout for; the next instant a shower 
of round shot came whistling through our sails, some just 
above our heads, two struck the lugger^s side, and one killed 
three men dead on the decks. Though I knew how danger- 
ous was our position, I was too eager to see what was tak- 
ing place to go below. Still the gallant French captain 
W'ould not strike, but stood on as energetically as before, en- 
couraging his men to work the guns. I wished that he 
would give in though, for my own and Toby^s sake, nor did 
I think that he had a chance of escaping. There he stood 
full of life and energy, now hauling on a gun-tackle, now 
looking along a gun. The next moment Siere was a w^his- 
tling and crash of shot, and 1 saw several mangled forms sent 
flying along the deck. One was that of the brave captain. 
I ran to assist him, but though there was a convulsive move- 
ment of the limbs, he was perfectly dead. At the same mo- 
ment down came the lugger’s main-yard. I saw that it 
was completely up with her at all events. Some of the pri- 
vateer’s men continued at the guns, but the greater number 
tumbled headlong down below, to avoid the frigate’s next 
broadside. My eye glancing up at that moment, I saw 
the French flag still fl 3 dng. Believing that the only way to 
avoid the catastrophe was to haul it down, followed by Toby, 
I ran aft to do so. I was too late. The Frenchmen fired, 
and another crushing broadside struck the lugger, and made 
her reel with the shock. The companion hatch was knocked 
to pieces. We should have been killed had we remained at 
our former post. 

The next instant there was a fearful cry — the men who 
had gone below sprung up again with pale faces and cries 
of terror. The lugger rushed on, made one fearful plunge, 
and I saw that she was sinking. I had kept my eye on the 
wreck of the companion hatch. Dragging Toby with me, 
I sprung to it and clutched it tightly, and as the sea washed 
along the deck, and the sinking vessel disappeared, we 
found ourselves clinging to it, and floating on the summit 
of a curling wave. As soon as I had cleared my eyes from 
the water, I looked round for the frigate. She was in the 
act of heaving to in order to lower her boats. The sea 
around us was sprinkled with struggling forms, but not 
half 'the lugger’s crew were to be seen. Numbers must 
have gone down in her. Shrieks and cries for help reached 


64 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


our ears, but we could assist no one. Some were clinging 
to spars and planks, and pieces of the shattered bulwarks; 
a few were swimming, but the greater number were floun- 
dering about; and now I saw a hand disappear — now two 
were thrown up to sink immediately beneath the waves — • 
now a shriek of agony reached our ears. . It was very ter- 
rible. The companion hatch to which Toby and I clung 
had been so knocked about that it scarcely held together, 
and I expected every moment that it would go to pieces, 
a]id that we should be separated. I earnestly wished for 
the boats to come to us, and it appeared to me that the 
frigate was far longer than usual in heaving to and lower- 
ing them. At last, as we rose on the top of a wave, T saw 
three boats pulling toward us. The men were giving way 
with all their might as British seamen always will when 
lives are to be saved, even those of enemies. Several French- 
men had been picked up, when I saw a boat making toward 
us. Mr.. Johnson was steering, and Spellman was the mid- 
shipman in her. We were not recognized when we were 
haided into the boat, and might not have been had I not 
said; 

What, Spellman, donT you know me?” 

You, Merry,” he exclaimed, looking at me with an as- 
tonished gaze. AVhat business have you here? Why, we 
left you drowning — up Channel somewhere — ^liours ago. ” 

Thank you, but we have taken a cruise since then,” 
said I. 

^^And rather a perilous one, young gentleman,” ex- 
claimed the boatswain, now recognizing me. You had 
the shot rattling pretty thick about you, and I am heartily 
glad to see you safe, that I am. ” And he nearly wrung 
my hand off as he shook it. I never saAv guns better aimed 
than ours were, except once, and that was when I was at- 
tacking a Spanish line-of-battle ship in a jolly-boat. Ifll 
tell you all about it some day, but wefll just pick up some 
of these drowning Frenchmen flrst. Give way, my lads. ” 

The other two boats rescued several of the lugger’s crew; 
we got hold of six or seven more, who were floating on spars 
or planks; one of them was the second officer of the priva- 
teer; but out of a hundred and forty men who were on her 
decks when she went down, not more than thirty were res- 
cued. Toby and I met with a very pleasant reception when 
we got on board, and as soon as I had got on some drj 


THE MIDSHIP3[AH. 


65 


clothes and had had a glass of grog to restore my circula- 
tion, Captain Collj^er sent for me into the cabin to hear an 
account of our adventures. He seemed highly interested 
when I told him of the gallantry of the French captain, and 
expressed his regret at his death. A brave man always ap- 
preciates the bravery of his opponent. When I got back to 
the berth I had to tell the story all over again, and Toby, I 
have no doubt, was similarly employed among his messmates. 

"'It is very evident. Merry, that you are reserved for a 
more exalted fate,'’^ was the only comment Spellman made, 
when I ceased. 

" Thank you. Miss Susan, I answered " I owe you one. " 

" It is a great pity that the lugger went down, though,’’^ 
observed old Perigal; "I should have had a chance of tak- 
ing a run home in her as prize-master, and seeing my wife. 
Besides, she might have given us a pinch of prize-money. 

The regret generally expressed was rather for the loss of 
the few pounds the lugger might have given them than for 
that of the men who formed her crew. 

" What! I did not know that you were married,*’^ I ob- 
served to Perigal when he said he was married. 

"But I am, though; and to a young and charming wife 
who deserves abetter husband, he answered, in an abrupt 
way. "If it wasnT for her I shouldnT be now knocking 
about the ocean as I have been all my life; and yet, if it 
was not for her I should have very little to keep me on 
shore. It^s the prize-money, the booty, keeps me afloat. 
I am an arrant buccaneer at heart. 

"I should not have supposed you that,^^ said I. 

It was now evening, and old Perigal had his glass of 
grog before him. On these occasions he was always some- 
what communicative. 

" IVe been married six years or more,^^ he continued in 
a half whisper. " My wife is the daughter of an old ship- 
mate who was killed in action by my side. His last words 
were, "Take care of my orphan child — my Mary.^ I 
promised him I would as long as I ha4 life and a shilling in 
my pocket. I expected to see a little girl with a big bow 
at her waist, and a doll in her arms — as he described her. 
HeM been five years from home or more, poor fellow. In- 
stead of that, I found a handsome young woman, tall and 
graceful. What could I do? I was struck all of a heap, 
as the saying is; and I discovered at last, that though I 


66 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


was but a mate in the service, and an old fellow to boot 
compared to her, she liked me^ so we married. I^d saved 
some little prize-money, and I thought myself rich; but it 
went wonderfully quick, and a rogue of a fellow who bor- 
rowed some wouldn’t even pay me; and if it hadn’t been 
for the sake of Mary I wouldn’t have said anything to him, 
but let the coin burn a hole in his pockets. I went to law, 
and the upshot was that I lost all I had remaining. Now 
came the tug of war. Was I to go to sea again and leave 
Mary? I couldn’t bear the thought of it. Anything would 
be better than that. I would enter into some business. A 
bright idea struck me. Three or four hundred pounds 
would enable me to carry it out. Mary and I agreed that 
I should have no difficulty in getting that, I had so many 
friends. I would pay them a good interest. I tried. You 
should have seen how they buttoned up their pockets and 
pursed up their lips; how many similar applications they 
had, how many decayed relations wanted their assistance! 
They didn’t say, however, that they had assisted them. I 
had no business to complain; I had made a mistake, and I 
felt ashamed of myself. At first, though my heart swelled, 
I was very angry; but I got over that feeling, and I resolved 
to trust to myself alone. It was not till then that I re- 
covered my self-respect. I say. Merry, if you fancy that 
you have many friends, don’t you ever attempt to borrow 
money from them, or you’ll find that you are wofully mis- 
taken. Mary and I talked the matter over, and she settled 
to keep a school, and I to come to sea again. 

It was a sore trial, youngster, and you may fancy that 
a rich galleon wouldn’t be an unacceptable prize, to save 
the poor girl from the drudgery she has to go through. 
It wasn’t the way her poor father expected me to treat her, 
but I have done my best; what can a man do more!” 

The old mate was going to help himself to another glass, 
but he put the bottle away from him with resolution. I 
had observed that he often took more than anybody else in 
the mess; but after that, whenever I saw him doing so, I 
had only to mention his wife, and he instantly stopped. 
From this account he had given of himself, I liked him 
much better than ever. 

I one day asked Mr. Bryan, who knew his wife, about 
her, and he told me that she was a very superior young 
lady, and that he could not overpraise her. 


THE MIDSHIPMAK. 


67 


Of all my shipmates. Gray seemed most pleased at hav- 
ing me back again, and he assured me that had he been 
able to swim he would have jumped after me, and I believe 
that he would have done so. I promised on the first oppor- 
tunity to teach him to swim. People are surprised that so 
many sailors can not swim, but the^truth is, that when once 
they get to sea, they often have fewer opportunities of learn- 
ing than have people living on shore. In southern climates 
some captains, when it is calm, allow the men to go over- 
board; but in northern latitudes they can not do this, and 
many captains do not trouble themselves about the matter. 
My advice therefore is, that all boys should learn to swim 
before they come to sea, and to swim in their clothes. 

Next to Gray, I believe that Mr. Johnson was most satis- 
fied that I was not drowned. 

I had written an account of what had happened to your 
disconsolate parents, and had taken an opportunity of prais- 
ing you as you deserved; but as you are alive, Ifil put it by; 
it will serve for another occasion,^’ he observed. 

I thanked him, and begged him to give me the letter, 
which, after some persuasion, he did. I inclosed it to my 
sisters, assuring them that it was written under an errone- 
ous impression that I was no longer a denizen of this world, 
and begged them not to be at all alarmed, as I was well, and 
merry as ever. 

Sir, — Your son and I, though he was only a midship- 
man — I am boatswain of this ship — were, I may say, friends 
and companions; and therefore I take up my pen to tell 
you the sad news, that he and boy Bluff went overboard to- 
gether this evening, and were lost, though we didn^t fail 
to look for them. It may be a consolation to you to 
know that they always did their duty, which wasn^t much, 
nor very well done, nor of any use to anybody, but that was 
no fault of theirs, seeing that they didn^t know better. 
Then youfil not fail to remember that there^s no longer any 
chance of your son being hung, which has been the fate of 
many a pretty man, either by mistake or because he de- 
served it, and that must be a comfort to you. I^ve nothing 
more to say at present. 

Your obedient servant, 

‘‘^Jonathan Johnson, 

Boarswain of His British Majesty’s frigate ^ Doris.’” 


68 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


I had hopes that the letter would afford infinite satisfac- 
tion to my home circle. 

We ran back to Plymouth with our piisoners, and then 
receiving sealed orders, sailed for the westward. On the 
captain opening his 'orders, we found that we were bound 
out for the North American and West India station. 

One day, as Mr. Johnson seemed in an especially good 
humor, I got Gray to come, and we begged hard that he 
would go on with his history. 

Ah, yes, my true and veracious narrative,” he answered. 
^^Ho! ho! ho!” 

His ogre-like laugh sounded along the deck, and served 
as a gong to summon an audience around him, though only 
a favored few ventured into his cabin: 

I was telling you about my maternal parent, the esti- 
mable Mrs. Johnson. I was alluding to times before she 
assumed that appellation, or became my parent. I brought 
up my history to the period when she became first lieuten- 
ant of the gallant ^ Thunderbomb. ^ She did not remain in 
that craft long, for the captain, officers, and crew were 
turned over to a dashing, slashing, thirty-six-gun frigate, 
the ^ Firegobbler. ^ It is extraordinary what a number of 
actions that frigate fought, and what other wonders she 
performed — all owing to my mother, I believe you. At 
last, one day, not far off from the chops of the Channel, a 
large ship, under Spanish colors, was sighted. The ^ Fire- 
gobbler gave chase, and a running fight ensued, during 
which a shot killed the captain, and, of course, my mother, 
who took command, followed up the enemy. 

Before day was over, another Spanish line-of-battle 
ship hove in sight, and when the two closed each othei’, 
they hove to and waited for the ^Firegobbler,^ which 
wasn^t long in getting into action. Then, I believe you, 
she did give them a hammering, in such right good earnest, 
that before the sun set they cried peccavi, and struck their 
flags. As I told you the other day, she brought them both 
in triumph into Plymouth. Now, by all the rules of the 
service, she ought to have been promoted, yoiPll allow; but, 
by some means or other, the lords commissioners of the 
Admiralty found out that she was a woman — perhaps some 
jealous fellow peached on her — and, think of their ingrati- 
tude, not only wouldn’t they give her a commander’s rank, 
.but they superseded her, and would by no manner of means 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


69 


allow her to remain in the ship. To my mind, those big- 
wigs up in London have no consciences. AV hat encourage- 
ment is there for a spirited young woman to go and fight 
lier country's battles? None! that^s a fact! Miss Naylor 
had to go on shore. But she couldn^t*bear a quiet life; so, 
slipping on seaman ^s clothes again, she shipped aboard 
another frigate, but, of course, she had to go before the 
mast. That made little difference to her; she loved the 
sea for itself, and didn’t care where she was. For some time 
she got on very well, but she didn’t always remember that 
she was no longer a first lieutenant — which was natural, 
poor thing! Well, one day, when off the coast of America, 
she quarreled with the man who was first lieutenant, and, 
meeting him on shore, she put a pistol into his hand, and 
told him he must fight her. He was a spirited fellow, and 
said that he never refused that sort of invitation, and, as it 
was in the chief street of a large city, they had plenty of 
seconds. Well, they fought, and she had the misfortune 
to shoot him through the heart. Most men would have 
died immediately, but he lived long enough to forgive her 
for what she’d done, and' to say what a fine fellow he 
thought her. Of course, as it’s against the articles of war 
to shoot a first lieutenant, she couldn’t go aboard the frigate 
again; and, when a file of marines came to seize her, the 
people of the place carried her off, and wouldn’t give her 
up, and so the jollies had to return without her. Two 
parties were formed in the place. One said she ought to be 
given up, and the other that she oughtn’t, and shouldn’t, 
and that they wouldn’t. It was one of the secret causes of 
the American Revolution. 

Among those who sided with her was a Captain John- 
son, a very fine man, master of a very fine ship, and as he 
happened to want a mate, he asked my mother if she would 
take the berth, not dreaming all the time that she was a 
woman. They had a good deal of talk about the matter, 
and as she had taken a fancy to him, she told him all her 
history. I have said that my father was a fine man. He 
was the tallest and smartest man I ever saw, and had the 
loudest voice, too, I believe you, or he wouldn’t have won 
the heart of my mother. She wasn’t a woman to knock 
under to an ordinary, every-day sort of man. He was so 
tall, that the barber had to stand on the table to shave him, 
and as he walked along the streets, he could hand sugar- 


70 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


plums to the children in the upper windows; and his voice 
was so loud, that he once made a stone-deaf woman jump 
oft' her chair, right up to the ceiling with fright, when he 
raised it above the ordinary pitch to speak to her; and he 
was so strong, that he made nothing of lifting an ale-cask 
up to his lips, and drinking out of the bung-hole. He was 
the man to command a ship^s company ! When he found 
any two of them quarreling, he would lift one up in each 
hand, with outstretched arms, and he would then knock 
their two heads together, and go on bumping harder and 
harder till they promised to be friends. 

Ho two people could have been better matched than 
my parents, and they had a sincere respect for each other. 
They were above anything like a namby-pamby, soft-sigh- 
ing, do-sweetest, kiss-me style of love. My father made 
his offer from the deck of his ship, as she was standing out 
of harbor, and my mother answered him from the shore 
through a speaking-trumpet. The truth was, that when 
the owners heard that she was a woman, they didn^t ap- 
prove of her going as mate; they thought that it would in- 
validate the insurance 

The wind fell outside, so he dropped anchor and pulled 
on shore, and was married, and, of course, off she went to 
sea with him. A very useful wife, too, she made, for 
though she didnT wear the breeches, she could take the 
command of the ship better than any one else on board. 
Thus it was that I came to be born at sea. There was a 
terrific gale blowing, and the ship was running under bare 
poles during the time that important event in the world's 
history occurred. 

“ ‘ The wind it whistled, the porpoise roll’d, 

The dolphins rear’d their backs of gold; 

And never was heard such an outcry wild 
As welcomed to life the ocean-child.’ 

I believe you, my hearties, that was a gale! I don't be- 
lieve the sea ever ran so high before, nor has ever run so 
high since. We were fully half an hour going up the side 
of one sea, and nearly a quarter sliding down into the 
trough on the other — so I have been told; I can not say that 
I remember the circumstance, though I do recollect things 
which happened a long time ago. 

I was a precocious child, let me tell you. I had as fine 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


71 


a set of teeth as ever cracked biscuit by the time I was six 
mouths old, and lived upon lobscouse and porter. I was 
weaned by that time, and I wasn^t two years old when I 
could go aloft like a monkey. It wouldn't have done for 
me to have been like any every-day sort of baby." 

I was almost inclined to believe Mr. Johnson's assertions, 
for, as I looked at the huge red-nosed man before me, I 
could scarcely persuade myself that he had ever been a 
baby in long clothes. 

Speaking of monkeys," continued Mr. Johnson, wink- 
ing his eye, I once had a desperate fight with one, when 
I wasn't much more than three years old. I was sitting on 
the main-truck, with my legs dangling down, as was my 
custom when I wanted a good allowance of fresh air. We 
had a monkey aboard — a mischievous chap — and when he 
saw me, he swarmed up the mast, and, putting up his paw, 
snatched a biscuit out of my jacket-pocket. I gave him a 
slap on the head, and in return he bit my leg, and tried to 
pull me down. To be even with him, I jumped on his 
shoulders, and down we slipped together, till we reached 
the topmast cross-trees. There I got a rope, and lashing 
him to the heel of the top-gallant-mast, sung out to the 
hands in the top that they might see what I had done. 
You may be sure that they were very much astonished. 

I was a great favorite among the crew, and ran no 
slight chance of being spoiled. I could dance a hornpipe 
with any man on board; and as for singing a rollicking 
sea-song, there were few who could match me. I soon 
learned to hand, reef, steer, and heave the lead, as well as 
any man on board. My mother was proud of me, and so 
was my father; and they had reason to be, and that's the 
truth. 

At last it struck them that they ought to give me some 
education, to fit me to become an officer and a gentleman. 
I, however, was not fond of books, but I learned to read 
chiefly from the signboards over the shop-fronts along the 
quays at the different ports to which we traded. Not that 
I required much instruction, for I picked up knowledge • 
faster than most people could serve it out to me. 

I was one morning sent on shore to school, but the 
master tfiinking fit to cane me, I tucked him up under my 
arm, and walked off with him on board the ship, where I 
stowed him under hatches, and kept him there till he prom- 


72 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


ised to treat me in future Mdth more respect. After this 
little occurrence we were very good -friends; but when the 
ship went to sea, he begged that I might on no account be 
left behind. That w^as but natural, for I hadnT got into 
shore ways exactly.-’^ 

The cry, from the deck, of All hands make sail!^^ in- 
terrupted Mr. Johnson^s veracious narrative. 

"'A chase in sight,'" he exclaimed; and a prize she'll 
prove, though we have to fight for her!" 


CHAPTEE V. 

Every officer, man, and boy, not otherwise especially 
engaged, had their eyes directed ahead, watching the chase, 
as her sails gradually rose above the horizon. What she 
was had not yet been ascertained. She might be a man-of- 
war, or, perhaps, only a merchantman. If the first, we 
hoped she would fight; if the latter, that she might carry 
a rich freight. After a time, I saw Mr. Johnson rubbing 
his eyes, and,' suddenly bringing his hand down on his 
thigh with a loud smack, he exclaimed — 

She's only a Yankee merchantman, after all. " 

The'stranger was evidently making no attempt at escape; 
indeed, before long, she lost the wind altogether, though 
we carried it on till we got within about a mile of her. We 
then found that the boatswain was right; indeed, it is easy 
to knew an American merchantman by her light-colored 
hull, breadth of beam, low masts,, square yards, and white 
canvas. 

As we lay rolling away, a boat was lowered from the 
stranger, from whose peak the stars and stripes hung down,,, 
so that none but a practical eye could have made out the 
flag. 

The boat came alongside, and a gentleman, in a broad - 
brimmed straw hat and jean jacket, stepped on board, with 
a cigar in his mouth, and walking aft with the greatest 
coolness, put out his hand to Captain Collyer, who, look- 
ing true dignity itself, was standing on the quarter-deck, 
with his officers round him. Not a little electrified was he 
by the address now made him. 

How goes it with you, skipper?" quoth the stranger, 
almost wringing his hand off. ^‘You've a neat little craft 


THE MIDSHIPMAjq". 


73 


under your feet, I guess, but weVe got some who^d wallop 
her in pretty smart time. You^d like to know who I am? 
Tm Captain Nathan Noakes; I command that ship there, 
the ^ Hickory Stick,^ and I should like to see her equal. 
She^s the craft to go, let me tell you. When the breeze 
comes, 1^11 soon show you the pair of heels she^s got. We^ll 
run away from you like greased lightning, I guess. 

She looks like a fine vessel, sir,^^ said Captain Colly er, 
too polite to turn away, as some men I have known might 
have done. 

She is, sir,^^ said the American master, with emphasis. 

I calculate she^d sail twice round the world while you was 
going once; but don’t rile, now, at what I say — you can’t 
help it, you know. Come, take a cigar — they’re real Ha- 
vana. ” 

Thank you, sir, I do not smoke,” said our captain with 
naturally increasing stiffness, nor is it customary, I must 
observe, for any one to do so on the quarter-deck of one 
of His Britannic Majesty’s ships.” 

Ah! that’s the difference between slavery and freedom,” 
answered the stranger, with most amusing effrontery, light- 
ing another cigar as he spoke. ^^You serve the tyrant 
King George. I serve myself, and no one else, and I hke 
my master best of the two; but I pity you — you can’t 
help it.” 

Some of the officers were very indignant at the impudence 
of the Yankee captain; others were highly amused, and I 
believe Captain Collyer was, for he turned away at last to 
hide his laughter. Nothing, however, seemed to abash the 
skipper. 

Well, you Britishers will be inclined to deal, I guess,” 
Ife observed; and, without waiting for an answer, ordered 
the people in his boat to send up some cases of claret and 
boxes of oranges which he had brought. A whip was sent 
down, and they were soon had on deck, and I must say we 
were not sorry to make a deal with him — that is to say, the 
captain and the gun-room officers took the claret, and the 
midshipmen the oranges. 

Well, I guess you’ve got them dirt cheap,” observed 
the Yankee skipper, as he pocketed the money. ^^But, 
mind now, I don’t warrant them all sound.” 

Had he made the remark before we bought them, we 
might have thanked him for his honesty. On opening the 


74 


THE MIDSHIPMAK. 


cases we found that more than one half were rotten, and 
that the rest would not keep many days. That, of course^ 
was the reason he had sold them. 

He finished his cigar while he went on talking much in 
the same strain as he had done at first, and then coolly pro- 
posed inspecting the ship. As there was no objection to 
his so doing, he was allowed to go round the decks, where 
he might have counted thirty-six guns, and as fine a look- 
ing crew as ever stepped the deck of a man-of-war. At 
length Captain Nathan Noakes returned on board the 
Hickory Stick.” Afterward, when I repeated to the 
boatswain the remarks of Captain Noakes, his observation 
was: 

“I can not stand those Yankees — they do exaggerate so 
terribly. One can not depend on a word they say. ” 

I made no reply, for it struck me that Mr. Johnson him- 
self did at times, as he would have said, rather overstate 
facts. I made the remark to Perigal. 

^^Well, boy, the boatswain is like most of us,” he an- 
SAveml; ^Mve donT see our own faults. I suspect no man 
would be more ready than he would to grow angry should 
his veracity be called in question. ” 

But those stories of his own adventures are very amus- 
ing,” said I. 

^^Very,” said Perigal. ^^And as long as he confines 
himself to them no great harm is done; but if a man once 
gets into the habit of departing from the truth for the sake 
of amusing his hearers, he may not stop there, and will, 
very likely, tell a falsehood of a different character when- 
ever it may suit his convenience to do so. ” 

The sun when setting indicated fine weather. During 
fche night there was a light breeze, scarcely sufficient to send* 
our heavy frigate through the water. When day dawned, 
however, our Yankee friend, we discovered, had managed 
to slip away, and was hull down to the south-west. 

In the same direction another ship was seen, with which 
it was considered probable that the Yankee had communi- 
cated. The stranger looked suspicious, a heavy ship, and 
certainly a man-of-war. All hands, in consequence, set to 
work to whistle for a breeze, and to our infinite satisfaction 
it came very soon, confirming^iost on board in their belief 
as to the efficacy of the operation. Sail was then made, and 
we steered for the stranger. She was soon pronounced to 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


7 ^^ 

be a powerful frigate, a worthy match for the Doris, 
and so with light hearts we cleared for action, not doubting 
that we should take her, whatever her size* or the number 
of her guns. Our only fear was that she might run away. 
To prevent this, our captain, who was up to all sorts of 
tricks to deceive an enemy, had arranged a mode of disguis- 
ing the ship. By means of some black painted canvas let 
down over the main-deck ports, she was made to look like 
a corvette, or flush-decked vessel. Captain Collyer, we 
heard, had before taken in and taken several vessels in this 
way, and we hoped now to be as fortunate. 

At an earlier hour than usual we piped to breakfast, that 
we might not fight on empty stomachs, and I may safely 
say that the prospect of a fierce contest damped no one^s 
appetite. For my own part I never made a better meal in 
my life. I hurried, however, very soon again on deck, spy- 
glass in hand. Looking through it, there was no longer 
any doubt as to the character of the stranger. There she 
lay, standing under easy sail, and evidently waiting our ap- 
proach. Just as I got on deck she fired a gun to windward, 
and the French ensign flew out from her peak. 

As we drew nearer we could count twenty-two ports on 
a side. She thus carried many more guns than we did, and 
had probably a much larger crew. These odds were highly 
satisfactory. We had no fear about the issue of the com- 
bat; our only dread was that she might escape us. Our 
captain determined to do his best to prevent this. He was 
not a man given to make long speeches, but as soon as 
everything was ready for battle he called the men on deck. 

^^My Ms,” he said, ^‘^there^s a ship somewhat bigger 
than we are, and may be there are more men on board ; but 
theyTe only Frenchmen. You can take her if you try, and 
I know you will. I intend to engage her to leeward, that 
she may not escape us. Youfil do your duty like British 
seamen, and that^s all I want of you.” 

This pithy speech was received with three hearty cheers, 
a good prognostic of victory. 

The determination of the captain to engage a more pow- 
erful antagonist to leeward 'was very brave, for it was the 
least advantageous position for fighting. The reason of the 
Frenchman's boldness in waiting for us was clearly that he ■ 
supposed the Doris ” to be much smaller than she really 
was. But then how was it that the Yankee skipper should 


.76 


THE MIHSHIPMAH. 


have not told him the truth? They had cptainly com- 
municated. We had only Just before seen his royals dip- 
ping beneath the horizon. However, we hadnT time to 
think of that or anything else, before a shot from the enemy 
came whistling through our sails. Several followed in 
rapid succession. We were keeping away so as to cross her 
stern, and rake her with a broadside, and then to haul up 
again on her beam. To avoid this she also kept way, and 
began to pepper us rather more than was pleasant. Her 
captain had clearly determined that we should not get to 
leeward. 

She must have it as she wishes,"" cried Captain Collyer. 

Give it her, my lads."" 

At that moment the canvas which had concealed our 
main-deck guns was triced up, and in right good earnest we 
poured our whole broadside into our opponent. The un- 
expected salhte must have staggered her, and now she too 
hauled up, and, discovering that she had not got a baby to 
play with, applied herself in earnest to the combat, and we 
ran out blazing away at each other nearly yard-arm to 
yard-arm. 

This is what I like,"" exclaimed Mr. Johnson, rubbing 
his hands. This is a good honest stand-up fight; we know 

what the enemy"s about, and he knows what we are about, 
and I shall be very much surprised if he does not find out 
before long that we are giving him a tremendous good lick- 
ing. "" 

I would not quite agree with the boatswain, for the 
enemy"s shot was crashing about us with terrific effect. The 
French frigate also sailed much faster than we did, and 
soon shot ahead of us; and still further to prevent us from 
attaining our object, she wore round and came to on the 
other tack, giving us a fresh broadside as she did so. The 
maneuver succeeded so well, that it was repeated again and 
again. This enraged our crew, several of whom were struck 
down; the wounded were at once carried below, the dead 
were drawn out of the way; they were not yet numerous 
enough to throw overboard. I looked to see how my 
particular friends were getting on. George Gray had a 
division of guns under him, and was behaving like the 
young hero he was. Toby Bluff was busily employed in 
bringing up powder, and looking as totally unconcerned 
about everything else, as if his was the most important 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


77 


work to be done. Having brought up his tub, he sat him- 
plf down on it, determined that not a spark should get in 
if he could help it. In like manner the captain was doing 
his duty to the best of his power, and so was every officer 
and man in the ship. Mr. Lukyn, the first lieutenant, had 
chosen me to act as his aid-de-camp, to carry orders that he 
might have to send to any part of the ship; in that way I 
was kept constantly moving about, and it appeared to me 
that I escaped many shots which might otherwise have hit 
me. Once a shot knocked some hammocks out of the ham- 
mock-nettings, and grazed the mainmast just as I had pass- 
ed it, and another took off the head of the boatswain^’s mate, 
just as he was raising his hand to signify that he under- 
stood an order I had given him. I consequently walked on 
till I met the boatswain, and delivered the order to him 
that he might see it executed. 

This will never do, Lukyn, I heard the captain say. 

We must get alongside her again.” The sails were ac- 
cordingly trimmed, and we ran right down on the enemy, 
pouring into her as we did a fire of round shot, grape, and 
musketry; but, I must own, getting as much in return, 
and having our rigging 'terribly cut about. The French 
ship had at the time little way on her, and so we shot 
ahead ; both of us, after exchanging a couple of broadsides, 
falling off before the wind. We had now separated consid- 
erably. The hands were sent aloft to knot and splice the 
rigging, to enable us to work the ship, which we otherwise 
could not do. While we were thus employed, the French 
frigate hauled up, and, passing our stern diagonally, raked 
us, but at too great a distance to do us much damage. 
Every officer and man was exciting himself to renew the 
fight, when once morp the French ship bore up, and showed 
that she was going again to pass under our stern. 

Down with your faces on the deck, all of you, my lads,” 
shouted the captain, the order being repeated by the other 
officers. I observed, however, that both he and Mr. Lukyn 
stood upright. The expected shower came, the enemy 
passing within pistol shot. I looked up anxiously to ascer- 
tain if either of my superiors was hurt. There they stood 
as calm as before, but Mr. Lukyn^s hat had been knocked 
off, and two bullets had passed through the sleeve of his 
coat.. 

That was a narrow shave,” observed the captain, as 


78 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


Mr. Lukyn stooped down and picked up his hat. Had the 
men been standing up, great numbers, probably, would 
have been killed or wounded. The enemy after this hauled 
up on the larboard tack, and was about to pour her star- 
board broadside into us, when, our crew springing to their 
feet, our sails were thrown back, and the French frigate^s 
larboard bow came directly on to our starboard quarter. 
As she did so, the boatswain with his mates sprung aft, and 
in a moment it seemed that the enemy’s, bowsprit, or rather 
jib-boom, was lashed, to our mizzen rigging, in spite of a 
lieavy rattling fire of musketry, kept up on them by the 
French marines on their forecastle. A body of our marines 
came aft to them, and numbers were on both sides. While 
this was going forward, I saw a French officer walking 
along the bowsprit with a musket in his hand. He rested 
it on the stay, and was taking a deliberate aim at Captain 
Oollyer, who stood, not observing this, encouraging the 
men to work the after-guns. At that instant a marine 
who had just loaded his musket was shot dead. I seized 
it as he fell, and in the impulse of the moment, dropping 
on my knee, raised it to my shoulder and fired at the 
Frenchman on the bowsprit who at the same time fired. 
A ball passed through the captain’s, hat — ^he turned his 
head and observed that I had just fired, and saw also the 
Frenchman falling headlong into the water. 

Thank you, Mr. Merry; you have saved my life,” he 
said, turning a look of approval on me; but there was no 
time for more. Everything I have described passed like. a 
fiasli of lightning. All was now smoke and noise, the men 
straining at the gun-tackles, sponging and loading; the 
marines firing and stooping down, as they had been order- 
ed, to load, to avoid the bullets of the French marines, who 
were so much above them. Meantime the Frenchmen had 
been mustering on deck, and suddenly appearing on their 
forecastle, they nished along the bowsprit, and were leap- 
ing down on our hammock nettings, the headmost reaching 
the deck. 

Boarders repel boarders!” shouted Mr. Bryan; and he 
with one or two mates, followed by Jonathan Johnson, with 
his doughty cutlass, hurried aft to meet them. What had 
become of the captain and Mr. Lukyn I could not tell. 
Fierce was the encounter, for the French seamen fought 
desperately, and their marines were blazing away faster 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


79 

than ever. Mr. Bryan and the French officer leading the 
hoarders met, their blades flashed rapidly for a few sec- 
onds, and the Frenchman fell mortally wounded. Mr. 
Johnson was in his glory; the first time he led on his fol- 
lowers, however, the Frenchmen withstood him for some 
seconds, and more of them pouring down on the deck, he 
was driven back a foot or two, but it was only for a mo- 
ment. With a loud shout he made a furious dash at the 
boarders; Mr. Bryan, with several mates and midshipmen, 
of whom I was one, seconded by our gallant purser, who 
with a brace of pistols in his belt, and a sharp cutlass in his 
hand, instead of remaining below, had come on deck to 
share the danger and aid in the fight; and of the whole 
number of the enemy who reached the deck of the Doris, 
not one quarter escaped on board their own ship un wound- 
ed, and very nearly half were killed outright, or taken pris- 
oners. We, however, did not get off scathless. The enemy 
still continued to annoy us with their foremost guns; while 
the shot from their muskets rattled thickly round our 
heads, our main royal-mast and main-topsail yard had been 
shot away, and the gaff was so severely wounded that when 
the Frenchman fell aboard us, it dropped over on his deck. 
At this moment we saw some of the crew tear our ensign 
from the gaff and carry it aft as a trophy; there was not a 
man in our ship who would not have gladly rushed aboard 
the enemy to recover it. 

It will never do to be without a flag,^^ said I to Gray. 

I propose to go aloft and nail a couple to the mast.^^ 

With all my heart,” he answered; and he getting a 
boat^s ensign and I a union-jack from the signal locker we 
ran aloft with them before any one saw what we were about. 
We agreed, however, that they would look best at each end 
of the cross-jack, and accordingly, quick as lightning, we 
lashed them there. The Frenchmen might certainly have 
picked us off, but as many of their nation have much 
chivalry in their composition, when they saw that we were 
young midshipmen, and what we were about, I suspect, 
refrained from firing. At all events, we accomplished our 
dangerous exploit, and returned on deck. Scarcely had we 
reached it, and stood amid the shower of bullets whistling 
along it, than, to my great sorrow, I saw Gray fall; he 
uttered no cry; I ran toward him to lift him up; he said 
that he was not badly hurt, bu(j he fainted, and Mr. Bryan 


80 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


ordered him at once to be carried below. Directly after- 
ward Mr. Bryan fell; he, however, raised himself on his 
arm, and with the help of two seamen, in a short time stood 
up, and refused to leave the deck. Mr. Oollman, our brave 
purser, tried to persuade him to go below. 

Let the surgeon look to you, and if he thinks you are 
fit you can return. 

No, no; thank you, Oollman,” he answered. I don^t 
know what may happen while I’m away. I'ime enough to 
go to the doctor when we’ve thrashed the Frenchman. ” 

It was my duty, as I said, to stay by the first lieutenant. 
I was inquiring for him, when I saw a number of the French 
marines peppering away at the after-ports in the captain’s 
cabin. I instantly bethought me that the captain and Mr. 
Lukyn must be there, and accordingly hurried to the main- 
deck. 

Our captain had, without asking leave of the dock-yard 
authorities, cut two ports in his cabin on each side next the 
quarter, in readiness for the very contingency which had 
now occurred. Our carpenter had, however, stupidly for- 
gotten to drive in ring bolts to work the guns, while the 
gunner had not prepared tackles of sufficient length to 
haul the aftermost gun from the side of the new ports. 

When I reached the cabin, the captain and first and third 
lieutenants, and the gunner and carpenter, and other 
ofiQcers and men, were, working away to find means to train 
aft a gun. The marines, however, stationed along the 
larboard gangway of the enemy had found them out, and 
as I reached the cabin it seemed as if a hail-storm was play- 
ing into it, and the bulkheads were literally riddled with 
bullets. Several men lay dead about the decks, and every 
now and then another sunk down wounded, while many 
were laboring away with the blood flowing from their sides 
or limbs. I ran in and asked Mr. Lukyn if he wanted me. 

^^No, no. Merry; go out of this, boy,” he answered 
kindly. 

At that time it was certainly the part of the ship suffer- 
ing most. As I was going out I passed Mr. Downton, our 
third lieutenant. He was reeving a rope through a block 
to form a tackle, when a shot struck him in the head. He 
fell forward in the way of the gun. He was dragged un- 
ceremoniously out of it by the legs, and the men cheered as 
they hauled it aft. I ran to help poor Mr. Downton. I 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


81 


lifted him up. He gave a look so full of pain and woe in 
my face that I would gladly have shut it out, and then with 
a deep sigh breathed his last. I never felt so sad before. 
He was a good kind officer, and I liked him very much. I 
now, I own, began to think that we were getting the worst 
• of it, and should have to strike our colors, or go down with 
them flying. Just then the gun, double-shotted, was run 
aft, and fired right into the enemy^s bows. Our men’s 
cheers scarcely drowned the shrieks and cries which folloAved 
from the French ship. Again the gun was loaded and fired 
with the same terrible effect. The French marines con- 
tinued blazing away at the people in the cabin, but were at 
length driven from the gang-way by the hot fire of our 
jollies and small-armed men. The latter had also to direct 
their attention to a carronade which the enemy had got on 
his forecastle, and which might have done us a vast deal of 
mischief, but such a shower of musket-balls whistled round 
it the instant a Frenchman got near, that none would vent- 
ure to work it. 

As Mr. Lukyn had ordered me out of the cabin, when I 
found that I could be of no use to Mr. Downton, I went on 
deck again. The bullets were whistling along the deck as 
thick as hailstones. This sort of work would have con- 
tinued probably till we had treated each other like the Kil- 
kenny cats, or till the French ship had given in, when her 
jib-boom gave way, and she forged ahead. As she did so, 
our next aftermost gun was manned and fired, cutting away 
her head-rails, and, what was of greater consequence, the 
gammoning of her bowsprit. 

Hurra, lads! the day’s ours,” shouted Mr. Oollman; 

over to the starboard guns.” 

The master was on the main-deck with the captain. 

Now the battle’s going to begin in earnest, Mr. Merry,” 
observed the boatswain, near whom I found myself. 

Thought I to myself, "'It has been going on in pretty 
serious earnest for the past two hours or more.” 

Now both frigates, running on, yard-arm to yard- 
arm, fired their guns in succession as they could be 
brought to bear; but our people, from constant practice, 
tossed our guns in and out twice as rapidly as the French- 
men. This soon told; the enemy’s main-topmast was shot 
away, the foremast was badly wounded, several of her 
ports were knocked into one, and instead of the cloud of 


82 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


canvas whicli lately swelled proudly to the breeze, her sails 
were riddled, and, with rope ends, hung useless from every 
shattered yard. In some respects we Were not much bet- 
ter off, and our rigging was so cut about, that the ship was 
no longer manageable. Taking advantage of her greater 
speed, our antagonist drew ahead till, she got out of gun- 
shot, greatly to the rage and annoyance of the crew, who 
bestowed on her three loud groans, and many an anathema 
on finding that she had escaped them. 

It now came on calm, and she could not get far off. Not 
a moment, however, was lost before all hands were set to 
work to repair damages; never was rigging more rapidly 
knotted and spliced. My eye was seldom off our enemy. 
A slight breeze had sprung up, when suddenly I saw her 
foremast rock, it seemed, and over it went with a crash, 
carrying a number of her crew on it into the water. A loud 
cheer burst from our men, as they saw what had occurred, 
and -they redoubled their efforts to get the Doris ” ready 
to renew the action. By noon we had knotted and spliced 
all the standing-rigging, rove new braces, and had got the ship 
under perfect command, while the freshening breeze car- 
ried us rapidly up toward our opponent. 

' The heat of the sun and our exertions made us feel very 
hot, and now the Yankee’s oranges came into requisition. 
Both midshipmen and men might have been seen sucking 
them heartily, as we once more stood into action. The 
enemy seemed still disposed to defend himself as we stood 
across his stern, so that he could bring no guns to bear on 
us. He, however, trusting to the effect Jus large body of 
marines might produce, fired a rattling volley as we were 
about to pour in our broadside. Spellman and I were, at 
the moment, standing near the boatswain. As the Drench 
marines fired, I felt a sharp burning pain in my shoulder, 
which made me jump on one side, - " ^ ” ’ 



orange flying away, and putting 


cried out, ^^Oh, my orange! my orange! and they have rid- 
dled my cheeks, the blackguards. ” 

I could not help laughing at his exclamation and face of 
astonishment, in spite of the sickness which was creeping 
over me. 

It’s lucky it was not through your head, Mr. Spell- 
man,” observed the boatswain, picking up the orange and 
handing it to him, but he was in no way inclined to suck it, 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


83 


for his mouth was full of blood, which he began vehemently 
sputtering out over the deck. 

Now our frigate sent forth a roaring broadside; the ene- 
my^s ship was for an instant shrouded in smoke. As it 
cleared away, down came the French ensign, and an officer 
was seen springing on the taffrail, and with the politest of 
bows, signified that they had struck. Loud hearty cheers 
was the answer returned by our brave fellows, who, by sheer 
hard fighting and rapid working of their guns, had achieved, 
in little more than three hours, a victory over a foe so 
vastly superior. These cheers, though pleasant sounds to 
our ears, must have been very much the contrary to our 
enemies. 

Then, and not till then, did Mr. Bryan consent to be 
carried below. I have no personal knowledge of what hap- 
pened after tliis, for even before the cheering had ceased, 
I should have sunk fainting on the deck, had not the boat- 
swain caught me. When I came to myself, I was undress- 
ed in my hammock, and, except a pain and stiffness iii my 
shoulder, there was nothing, I thought, very much the mat- 
ter with me, though when I tried to rise I found that to 
do so was out of the question. Spellman and Gray were 
in their hammocks, close to me. Though Spellman was the 
least seriously hurt of either of us, his appearance, from 
having his head bound up with tw'o huge plasters over his 
cheeks, was by far the most lugubrious, as he sat up and 
looked first at Gray, and then at me, and said, ^‘AVell, I 
hope you like it?^^ 

Thank you. Miss Susan," said I. ^^We might be 
worse off, but we sha^nT have to go whistling through the 
world in future as you will, and if ever you fall into the 
hands of savages theyfil put a rope through your cheeks 
and drag you along like a tame bear. " 

You doiiT think so. Merry, I’m sure," he answered, in 
a tone of alarm, which showed that he vividly pictured the 
possibility of such an occurrence; do you. Gray?" 

Poor Gray was too weak to say much, but he gave Spell- 
man very little encouragement to hope for the best, and 
when Macquoid visited us, entering into the joke, he said 
nothing to remove his apprehensions. 

My chief anxiety was now about Toby Bluff, and I was 
very glad to find that he had not been hurt. At last, when 
he came to me, I had some difficulty in quieting his appre- 


84 


THE MIDSHIPMAN'. 


hensions, and in persuading him that it was a very fine 
thing to be wounded, and that I should have lots of honor 
and glory, and be made more of when I got home than I 
had ever been before in my life, and that he would shai'e in 
it without having had the disagreeable ceremony to go 
through of being wounded. 

As to the glory, and all that sort of thing, I\l as lief let 
it alone, if it was to cost a bullet through me. Muster Mer- 
ry, he answered. ^^But Vd have been main glad if the 
mounseers had just shot me instead of you. It wouldn^t 
have done me no harm to matter. 

He is a faithful fellow, certainly,” I thought, but he 
has no chivalry in his composition. ” 

From the jabbering we heard around us, we found that 
the French prisoners had been brought on board, and 
Macquoid told us that every man who could be spared was 
employed in repairing the prize. Mr. Lukyn had gone 
to take command of her, with Perigal as his second in 
command, and I was very glad to find that the old mate 
was unhurt. 

Our prize was the Aigle.” She carried six guns more 
than we had, and they were of heavier caliber. She was 
nearly three hundred tons larger, and her crew numbered 
a hundred men more than we had. We had beaten her 
because our men were better gunners, and had fired half as 
rapidly again as had her crew. We had lost fourteen killed 
and thirty wounded, and she thirty-four killed and sixty- 
wounded. 

Ah! young gentlemen,” said Mr. Johnson, who in the 
intervals of his labor paid us a visit, it was as pretty a 
stand-up fight and as well won a battle as I ever heard of, 
or you J1 ever see, probably. ” 

At length both frigates were refitted, and, as we under- 
stood, steering a course for old England. We three mid- 
shipmen found it rather dull work staying in our hammocks 
all day, as it was too dark to read, though we managed 
to sleep, as only midshipmen can sleep, and we agreed that 
we would get the boatswain, when he had leisure, to come 
and sit by us to go on with his history. We succeeded, and, 
seated on a bucket, he began : 

"'Well, young gentlemen, flesh and blood wants some 
rest, though I can do more than most men in the way of 
work, and instead of taking a doze in my cabin IJl indulge 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


85 


you, and the service shall not suffer. Ah, ah! let me see 
— I was telling you of my childhood. I very soon grew up. 
I didn^t take long to do that. By the time I was fifteen I 
knew a thing or two, and there wasn^t a seaman aboard my 
f ather^s ship who could beat me at anything. ” 

At pulling the long-bow especially, said a deep voice 
from one of the hammocks. 

AVho spoke?^^ inquired Mr. Johnson, turning round 
sharply. 1^11 tell you what, whoever you are, a man 
may shoot with a long bow, or a man may shoot with a 
sliort bow; but for my part I say a man has a right to use 
the weapon which suits him best; and so, Mr. Bow-wo-wo, 
just bowse taut that jaw tackle of yours, and don^t let^s 
hear any more of your pertinent remarks, Ifil thank ye, 
my boy.” Mr. Johnson then continued, ^^At last,” said my 
father one day to me, Jonathan, you are big enough and 
strong enough to go without leading-strings, and the sooner 
a lad does that the better. ” 

Yes, father, 1 am,'’ said I, and I was, for I was six 
feet two inches high, and could knock over an ox with my 
fist, as I^d done many a time to save the butcher trouble. 

^ You must look out for a ship, my son,^ said my father. 

^ I will,^ said I, and 1 did. I shipped on board a 
Greenland whaler, the ‘^Blazylight,^ and sailed the next day 
for the north pole. We had a fine run to our fishing- 
ground, and soon began to kill our whales at a great rate. 
It was the sort of sport which just suited me. I never 
could stand angling for minnows, but whale-fishing is a 
very different sort of work, I guess. 

We had got a full ship, and were thinking of turning 
south, when we were becalmed near the land, arid as the 
ship could not move, I, with four or five mote, started on 
an expedition to shoot polar bears, which were pretty com- 
mon thereabouts. We had got a good way from the ship, 
when a thick fog— not an infrequent visitor to those parts 
— came on. I had a pocket -compass with me, and so 
wasn't a bit alarmed. Howpver, when we tried to find the 
old ^Blazylight ' again, I must confess we could not. A¥e 
wandered about till all my companions died from sheer 
fright and fatigue; and I should have died, too, if I had 
given in; but I wouldn't do that; so I collected all my 
shipmates' ammunition, arid set to work to kill and pot 
bears. I lived like a prince, as far as quantity was con- 


86 


THE MIDSHIPMAN". 


cerned, but I got rather tired of beards flesh at last. I 
rubbed myself over with the grease, and was soon covered 
from head to foot with hide of the finest wool, so that I 
didn^t feel the cold a bit. It was cold, however, at times, 
with a vengeance. Frequently the frost was so severe, that 
it froze up even the very air, and if I had not melted it 
now and then, by firing off my gun, 1 should have died for 
want of breath; and often it wasn’t possible to move with- 
out cutting a way for myself through the atmosphere with 
my ax. I suspected, as I afterward found to be the case, 
that what we had taken to be land, was in reality an un- 
usually large field of ice, with icebergs imbedded in it, and 
that we had been carried by some unknown current imper- 
ceptibly toward the north for a considerable distance. 
Now, when we had left the ship, we had kept to the west- 
ward. When we wished to return, we had steered east by 
the pocket-compass I told you of. On, and on, and on, I 
kept on the same course. What do you think I was doing? 
Why, I was walking round and round the’ north pole, and 
would have kept on walking till now, for nothing would 
have made me give in — I promise you that wasn’t my way 
— had I not come upon the print of my own footsteps in 
the snow. This made me aware of my error; so I sat down 
to consider how it could have happened, and at last the 
truth flashed on mind. You see it was a very natural mis- 
take I had made, for the needle of my compass was always 
pointing to the north pole, just as a capstan-bar does to the 
capstan, while I was running round and round at the other 
end of it. I was rather puzzled to know what to do, for 
had I walked south, not having the means of ascertaining 
my longitude, I might, I thought, find myself on the other 
side of the globe, somewhere near Behring’s Straits, leading 
into the Sea of Kamtschatka, where there would be little 
chance of my falling in with a ship. 

I had sat cogitating for some time, and was beginning 
to get rather chilly, when it occurred to me that I might 
render a great service to science by going chock up to the 
north pole, and ascertaining of what it is composed. I in- 
stantly rose from my seat, put my compass down to strike 
the course I was to take, fired off my gun to clear myself a 
path through the frozen atmosphere, secured my stock of 
bear’s flesh on my back for provisions, and manfully set 
forward, with my face away from all human beings. ” 


THE MIHSHIPMAH. 


87 


But how could you see, Mr. Johnson asked Gray. T 
always thought it was dark in those regions during winter 
^^See! why perfectly well/^ answered the boatswain, 
promptly. If the stars and moon happened not to be 
shining, there was always the aurora borealis blazing up, 
like a great fire, right ahead of me. You have seen the 
northern lights on a winter's night, but they are a very dif- 
ferent affair up there to what they appear so far south. If 
it wasn't for them, in my opinion, there would be no living 
in those regions; but by their warmth they keep the atmos- 
phere round them in a very pleasant state. Well, on I 
walked, sleeping at night in the huts I made in the snow, 
leaving a small hole open to breathe through; and it was 
not disagreeably cold, owing to the warm whiffs which came 
every now and then from the pole. 

After progressing thus for several days, I observed an 
extraordinary phenomenon. Whenever I took my compass 
out in my hand, I felt that the instrument had a tendency 
to move directly before me. This tendency increased gradu- 
ally as I proceeded, till, one morning, when I put it 
down as usual to mark my course before starting, to my in- 
finite surprise, and I may say dismay, away it glided over 
the snow, increasing in rapidity of motion as it proceeded. 

Horrified at the refiection of what might be the conse- 
quence should I lose it, I rushed forward, and, in my eager- 
ness to grasp my treasure, fell prostrate on my face, just, 
happily, as my fingers clutched it. 

^^This wonderful occurrence (for I own that it did 
surprise even me, and I could not have believed it had 
another man told it me) brought me to a stand-still, and 
compelled me to form a new plan for my future proceed- 
ings. I was unwilling to give up the enterprise, though I 
saw the full risk I was running; but dangers never daunted 
me — I should think not — and I determined at every hazard 
to proceed. I accordingly retraced my steps a day's Jour- 
ney, when I found the attractive powers of the pole of less 
force; and then erecting a lofty pyramid of snow, I placed 
my compass on the summit, and carefully covered it over. 
On the top of all I fastened a red pocket-handkerchief, se- 
cured to a walking-stick, in order to make the object more 
conspicuous. Having performed this work, I lay down in 
a snow-hut to rest,, and the next morning again set for- 
ward toward the pole. " 


88 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


The boatswain stopped to clear his throat. 

^^That is very interesting, Mr. Johnson, said Gray. 

Do go on. ” 

I"ll indulge you, young gentlemen — IJl indulge you; 
and as I look upon what I^m going to tell you as the most 
interesting part of my adventures, no one must interrupt 
me. The kmg on his throne mustn’t and sha’n’t — till I 
liave finished my authentic and veracious narrative.” 

Mr. Johnson! Mr. Johnson! the captain wants you — 
sharp!” shouted Toby Bluff, running along the deck. Mr. 
Johnson gave a grunt, and, springing from liis seat, disap- 
peared up the hatchway. 


CHAPTER VI. 

I HAD a good constitution which had not been impaired 
by any excess, and as Mr. Perigal and the other oldsters of 
the mess kept strictly to the law by which they had awarded 
to themselves two thirds of the youngsters’ grog, my blood 
was not inflamed by having imbibed spirituous liquors. I. 
therefore, under Macquoid’s judicious care, very rapidly re- 
covered from the effects of my wound. In a few days I 
could have got up and run about, -but as poor Gray, w^ho 
was much more hurt than I had been, was too weak to leave 
his hammock, I promised to remain in mine to keep him 
company. When Macquoid came to me, therefore, one 
day and told me that I might dress and go on deck, I re- 
plied in a very faint voice that I had not strength to move, 
and groaned a great deal when he moved me to dress my 
wound. 

^^Some internal injury, I fear,” he observed; ^^I must 
see to it.” 

He then turned to Spellman, to dress his cheeks. He 
groaned exactly in the way I had done, and spoke in the 
same faint tone, declaring his inability to rise. 

Ah, poor fellow, some internal injury, I fear; I must 
see to it,” remarked the assistant-surgeon in the same tone, 
as he left us. 

Miss Susan, thinking that he had quitted the sick-bay, 
sat up in his hammock, and made a well-known and ex- 
pressive signal to me with his thumb to his nose, which 
Macquoid, who happened at that moment to turn his head, 
could not have failed to observe. 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


89 


Miss Susan, you donkey, you have spoiled all. We 
are found out,''^ I exclaimed. Macquoid saw you sign to 
me. 

Spellman declared that did not signify; that he would 
explain how it happened to Macquoid, and assure him that 
the gesture was one which he frequently made when suffer- 
ing from a paroxysm of pain. 

I told him that he had better say nothing of the sort, and 
that he would only make matters worse; but he persisted 
that he knew better than I did, and told me to hold my 
tongue. Of course it was very wrong to sham to be worse 
than I was, but I persuaded myself that it was not like act- 
ual malingering, as I had a foundation for my assertion, 
and really did not feel as if I could walk. Still, I may as 
well say here, that though I have ever been through life 
merry by nature, as well as by name, and have loved joking 
as much as any man, I have learned to hate and detest 
falsehoods. It is unchristian-like in the first place, and 
thoroughly low and ungentlemanly in the second. I say 
this, lest in consequence of my having introduced the won- 
derful adventures of my shipmate, Mr. Johnson, it may be 
considered that I think lightly of the importance of speak- 
ing the truth. To do Jonathan justice he took ample care 
that his yarns should never for a moment deceive the most 
simple-minded or credulous of his hearers. At that time, 
however, I did not see things as clearly as I did when I grew 
older, and I was vexed at having tried to deceive Macquoid, 
more from the fear of being found out than from any re- 
fined sense of shame. He, however, when he came again 
in the evening, treated us exactly as if we were still very 
weak, and when Spellman persisted in talking of the odd 
position into which his hands twisted themselves when he 
was in pain, he seemed to take it all in, and agreed with 
him, that such was a very natural and common occurrence. 

I had my doubts, however, of Macquoid 's sincerity, and 
having had some experience of his mode of treatment on a 
former occasion, resolved to be very much better, the next 
visit he paid us. I said nothing to Spellman, whose spirits 
rose immediately. 

I told you so,^’ he exclaimed, when Macquoid was gone, 

I told you I should humbug Johnny Sawbones.^'’ 

“ How if we could but get the boatswain to come to us, 


90 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


and to go on with his yarns, we should be all right and 
jolly, observed Gray. 

I agreed with him, and soon afterward Toby Blulf com- 
ing to see me, which the faithful fellow did as often as he 
could during the day, I sent him to invite Mr. J ohnson to 
pay us a visit, as he would have more leisure then than at 
any other time of the. day. htothing loath, the boatswain 
soon made his appearance. 

And so, young gentlemen, you want to learn more of 
my wonderful, not to say veracious, narratives, he ob- 
served, while a pleasant smile irradiated his features. 

Well, I hold that the use of a man^s legs is to move about 
the world, the use of his eyes is to see all that is to be seen, 
as he does move about, and the use of his tongue to describe 
all that he has seen, and so Idl use mine to good purpose, 
and indulge you, but as IVe said before, I say again, I 
will have no one doubt my word. If there^s any caviling, 
1^1 shut up as close as an oyster when he^s had his dinner, 
and, having made this preliminary observation, here goes. 
Let me recollect, where had I got to?” Mr. Johnson said 
this while taking his usual seat on a bucket, between our 
hammocks, his huge legs stretched out along the deck, and 
his big head sticking up, so that his eyes could glance 
round above them: 

I remember — I was taking a walk up to the north 
pole. I did not think that I could be many days^ journey 
from it. But that did not matter. The air was so bracing 
that I could take any amount of exercise without fatigue, 
and was therefore able to walk all day, sitting down merely 
for convenience^ sake when I was enjoying my dinner off 
the preserved bear. I of* course could not cut the flesh 
with my knife, as it was frozen as hard as a rock. I was 
therefore obliged to chop it into mouthfuls with my 
hatchet, and even when between my teeth it was some time 
before it would thaw, but then you see, as I had nobody to 
talk to, I had plenty of time for mastication, and it was 
undoubtedly partly to this circumstance that I kept my 
health all the time. There is nothing so bad as bolting 
one^s food, except going without it. By the way, I have 
had to do that more than once for several weeks together. 
Once for a whole month I had nothing to eat but some 
round shot and bullet molds, and an old jackass, which 
was washed up on the beach, after being well pickled by 


THE MIDSHIPMAN". 


91 


the salt-water, but that has nothing to do with my present 
stoij. I wish that I had kept a diary of my proceedings, 
during my northern ramble. It would have proved highly 
interesting to Sir J oseph Banks, and other scientific people, 
but, as it happens, I have my memory alone to which I 
can trust, though that, however, never deceives me. Well, 
after leaving my flagstaff I traveled on, neither turning to 
the right hand nor to the left, and it is woiiderful what a 
straight course I kept, considering the difficulty there is in 
finding one’s way over a trackless plain without a compass. 
If I had had too much grog aboard, I could not have done 
it, and it’s a strong argument in favor of keeping sober on 
all occasions, but more especially when any work is to be 
done. I slept at night, as before, in a hole in the snow, 
but never suffered from cold; this was partly on account 
of the quantity of bears’ grease I swallowed, which served 
to keep the lamp of life alive, and also because every mile 
I advanced I found the atmosphere growing warmer and 
warmer, and the northern li^ts growing brighter and 
brighter. There could be no doubt about it; those lights 
were the cause of the unexpected warmth I encountered; 
so warm, indeed, did the air become, that I am ceriain 
many a man would have turned back for fear of being 
roasted alive, but I was not to be daunted. Onward I went 
till I got within less than a mile of one of the biggest fires 
I ever saw. The effect was grand and beautiful in the ex- 
treme. You might suppose yourself looking at a city fifty 
times as large as London, and every house in it as big as 
St. Paul’s, and every part of it blazing away at the same 
time, and even then you would have no conception of the 
magnificence of the scene which met my view, as I beheld 
the source of those far-famed northern lights, the aurora 
borealis, as the learned people call them. 

The flames, you must know, were not of that bright 
hot color which issue from a furnace, but were of a delicate 
pale red, flickering and playing about in the most curious 
way imaginable, sometimes blazing up to the height of a 
mile or so, and then sinking down to a few hundred feet. 
The heat at the distance I was then from it was rather 
pleasant than oppressive; it had not even melted the snow 
on the ground, but of course that was so hard frozen, that 
it would have required a very warm fire to have made any 
impression on it. Well, as I advanced I began to lick my 


92 


THE MIDSHIPMAK. 


chaps at the thoughts of the hot dinner I intended to enjoy 
— for, after all, however philosophical a man may be, his 
appetite, if he is hungry, must be satisfied before he is fit 
for anything — when I beheld a number of moving objects, 
scarcely distinguishable from the snow, encircling the fire, 
I could not make out at first what they were, but on ap- 
proaching still nearer, I discovered the truth, though I 
could scarcely believe my eyes, for there, sitting up on their 
hams, were countless thousands of polar bears, warming 
their paws before the aurora borealis- It is a fact as true 
as anything I have been telling you, and at once fully ac- 
counted to my mind for the disappearance of bears from 
the arctic regions during the winter months, and fully re- 
futes the popular idea that they sit moping by themselves 
in caverns, employing their time in sucking their paws. 

^^Not liking the idea of losing my hot dinner, not to 
speak of the disappointment of not being to say that I had 
been chock up to the north pole, I determined to venture 
among them. 

It wouldn’t give you much concern to say you had been 
there, at all events, even if you hadn’t,” growled out a 
voice from one of the hammocks. 

Sir!” exclaimed the boatswain, very sternly, I would 
have you to know that I scorn to exaggerate the truth or to 
make an assertion which is not in strict accordance with 
the facts. If you doubt my words, stop your ears or go to 
sleep, or I’ll shut up altogether.” 

Oh no, no, do go on, Mr. Johnson,” exclaimed several 
voices at the same moment. We don’t doubt a word 
you’re saying. ” 

Well, that’s right and proper,” said the boatswain, 
much appeased. If I do draw on my imagination at any 
time, it is because it is the only bank I know of which would 
not dishonor my drafts, aS many a gentleman who lives by 
his wits would have to confess, it he spoke the truth. Well, I 
resolved to venture on, and soon got up near enough to see 
that the bears were sitting as close as they could pack, in a 
large circle round the real veritable north pole, and that 
those who were moving were merely stragglers, who could 
not find room to squat down with the rest. I was standing 
contemplating the strange scene, when an immense big fel- 
low, catching sight of me, came waddling up on his hind- 
legs, and growling terrifically with anger. ‘ This is in- 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


93 


hospitable conduct, Mr. Bruin, let me observe,^ I shouted 
out, but he did not attend to me. I had my gun loaded in 
my hands, so, when he came within ten yards of me, I fired, 
and hit him in the eye. Over he rolled as dead as mutton, 
so it happened, and I had just time to cut a steak out of 
his rump for dinner, when another rushed toward me. I 
loaded calmly, fired, and knocked him over, but this was a 
signal for fifty others to make a charge at me. I felt that, 
ready for a fight as I was, I could not hope to contend 
against such overwhelming numbers, so I did what any 
person, however brave, situated as I was, would have done 
— I took to my heels and ran as hard as I could go. I never 
ran so fast in my life before, and good reason I had to put 
my best leg forward, for, in the course of a minute, there 
were a thousand bears at my heels, every one of them lick- 
ing his jaws with the thought of dining off me. I must 
own that I did not like it. On I ran straight for my signal 
staff, never once looking behind me, for I could hear the 
bears growling as they followed full tilt; and so clearly are 
sounds conveyed over those vast exp'^nses of snow, that 
they seemed close at my heels. 

By the time I had run for fully ten hours without stop- 
ping, I began to get rather out of breath, and almost to 
fear that I should not hold out much longer, when to my 
great satisfaction the growling grew less and less distinct, 
as the bears, dead beat, dropped off one after the other, till 
at last, turning my head, I found that I was alone. I can 
not express how comfortable this made me feel, so I sat 
down for half an hour to recover my breath, and to eat my 
dinner, which was a cold instead of the hot one I expected 
to enjoy. ' . 

When I got up again, what was my surprise to see my 
flagstaff in the distance, not two miles ahead, and it was 
only then I discovered how very fast I must have run, for 
I had come back in a few hours a distance which it had be- 
fore taken me a week to perform. I have heard of fear 
giving wings to the feet, but though I won^t allow that I 
was afraid, I must have flown along at a good pace. Well, 

I got up to my flagstaff, and found my nompass all right, 
though as soon as it was clear of the snow it had a slight 
inclination to move northward; and so, to avoid risk, I 
stowed it away carefully in my pocket. The handkercbief 
was frozen as stiff as a board, and I had some difficulty in 


94 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


folding it up for other purposes. I was glad also to get 
back my walking-stick, which helped me wonderfully over 
the ground. Again I sat down. It was only now the real 
difficulties of my position burst on me, but difficulties never 
have and never shall daunt me. After a little consideration 
I determined to discover the spot where I had commenced 
making the circuit round the pole. For several days I was 
unsuccessful; till at last I beheld a dark object on the 
snow. I ran toward it, and it proved to be, as I expected, 
the body of one of my shipmates, the last who had given 
in — a Shetlander — Murdock Dew by name, as good a seaman 
as ever lived. I exchanged boots with him as mine were 
worn out with so much walking, and then pushing on, I 
came upon the bodies of my other companions and the bears 
we had killed, by which I knew that I was steering a right 
course for the spot where I had left the ship. I calculated 
that had I gone south when I first thought of doing so, I 
should have got on shore somewhere to the eastward of 
Nova Zembla, and have had to travel right through Siberia 
and the whole of Europe before I could have got back to 
old England, which, considering that I had not a purse with 
me, nor a sixpence to put into it, would not have been 
pleasant. 

On I went till I got into the latitudes where icebergs 
are collected. They are, as is known, vast mountains of 
ice and snow, so that when I once got among them it was 
impossible to see any ahead, and as the summer was com- 
ing on and their bases melted, they began to tumble about 
in so awful a way, that I fully expected to be crushed by 
them. My food, too, was almost expended, and Murdock 
Dew^s boots gave symptoms of overuse, so that at last I 
began to think that there might be a jfieasanter situation 
than the one I was placed in, when one day having climbed 
to the summit of the highest iceberg in the neighborhood, 
I beheld a light-blue smoke ascending in the distance. 
Taking the exact bearings of the spot, I slid down an al- 
most perpendicular precipice of three hundred feet at least, 
at an awful rate, and then ran on as fast as my legs would 
carry me, for after a solitude of eight months I longed to 
see my fellow-creatures, and hear again the human voice. 
On I went, but still to my disappointment no ship ap- 
peared in sight, till at last I saw in front of me a low round 
hut, evidently the habitation of Esquimaux — a people, whose 


THE ItllDSHIPMAK. 


95 


habits, manners, and appearance I was never much given 
to admire. I should observe that what with my bear-skin 
cloak and my long beard and hair (I say it without any 
unbecoming humility) I did, probably, look rather an out- 
landish character. 

As I understood something of the Esquimaux lingo — 
indeed, there are few tongues I don^t know something 
about — I shouted loudly to attract their attention. On this, 
two men, dressed in skins, came out of the hut, and an- 
swered me in so extraordinary a dialect, that even I did not 
comprehend what they said. I then hailed them in Rus- 
sian, but their answers were perfectly unintelligible. I next 
tried French, but they shook their heads, as was, I thought, 
but natural for Esquimaux who were not likely to have 
been sent to Paris for their education. I then spoke a lit- 
tle, Spanish to them, but I was equally at a loss to under- 
stand their answers. Portuguese was as great a failure; 
even several of the languages of the hTorth American In- 
dians did not assist us in communicating our ideas to each 
other. I tried Hindostanee, Arabic, and Chinese, with as 
little effect. This was, indeed, provoking to a maii who 
had not exchanged a word with a fellow-creature for so 
many months, till at last, losing temper, I exclaimed in 
English more to myself than to them. 

^ Well, I wonder what language you do speak, then?^ 

^ English, to be sure,'’ answered both the men in a 
breath, ^ and never spoke any other in our lives. ^ 

Are you indeed my countrymen?’ I cried, rushing 
forward and throwing myself into their arms, for by the 
tone of their voices I discovered that not only w ;re they 
Englishmen but my own former shipmates. 

They, of course, thinking that I had long been dead, 
had not recognized me; indeed I had some difficulty, as it 
was, in convincing them of my identity, and of the truth 
of. the account I gave of my adventures since I left the ship. 

I was certainly an odd object, with a beard of so prodigious 
a length, that it not only reached the ground, but I had to 
tie it up as carters do their horses’ tails, to keep it out of 
the snow. My hair and eyebrows Had increased in the same 
proportion, so that I was more like a wild beast than a 
man. This extraordinary exuberance I attribute .entirely 
to my having lived so completely on bears’ flesh. Wlien 
cut off it served to stuff a large-sized pillow, which I after- 


96 


THE MIDSHIP^rAN. 


ward gave to the President of the United States, who sleeps 
every night on it to this day. 

My old shipmates told me that they were the only sur- 
vivors of the crew — that our ship had been nipped by two 
floes of ice with such violence that she was sent flying into 
the air full sixty feet, and that when she came down again 
on the ice she split into a thousand pieces, which went skat- 
ing over the smooth surface for miles, and that, of course 
the bones of every one on board were broken, but that they, 
having been sent ahead in a boat at the time, escaped. 

Now I do not wish to throw any discredit on my friends^ 
narrative, but remember that I will not and can not vouch 
for the accuracy of any man^s statements except of my own. 

My friends, having got over their first surprise, invited 
me to enter their hut, where I must say I enjoyed a com- 
fortable fire and a warm chop — though I burned my mouth 
when eating the hot meat, accustomed as I had so long 
been to iced food. We washed down the flesh with some 
excellent rum, a few casks full of which my shipmates had 
discovered near the scene of the catastrophe, in frozen 
forms, dike jellies turned out of a tin, for the wood had 
been completely torn ofl when the ship went to pieces. 
When our repast was concluded we whirled away the time 
by narrating our adventures, and though you may have 
observed that I am not much given in general to talking, I 
confess I did feel a pleasure in letting my tongue run on. 
It moved rather stiffly at first for want of practice; but the 
hot* food and spirits soon relaxed the muscles, and then it 
did move certainly. My only fear was that I should never 
get it to stop again. We talked on for twelve hours with- 
out ceasing, and, after a little sleep, went on again the 
whole of the next day. ” 

A loud guffaw from the occupant of a distant hammock 
made the boatswain stop short, and look round with an 
indignant glance: 

should like to know, Mr. Haugh! Haugh! Haugh! 
whether you are laughing at me, or at my very veracious nar- 
rative? If at me, I hav^to remark that it is not over well- 
bred, whoever you are, officer or man: if at my history, let 
me observe, all you have to do is to match it before you 
venture to turn it into fun. It may have been equaled. I 
don't wish to rob any man of his laurels; but it has not 
been surpassed, and so, Mr. Haugh! Haugh! IVe shut 


THE MIDSHIPMAK. 


97 


you up, and intend to shut up myself, too, for it^s time for 
me to go on deck and see what's become of the ship, and 
that no one has walked away with her. " 

Saying this the boatswain rose from his tub, and with his 
huge head and shoulders bent down as he passed under the 
beams, he took his departure from among the hammocks. 
He had not been gone long before Toby Blutf made his ap- 
pearance; and as he came up to me I fancied from his 
countenance that there must be something wrong with 
him. 

What is the matter. Bluff?" I asked. 

Why, sir, I thought Mr. Johnson was here," said he, 
without giving an answer to my question. 

^^But what if he is hot?" said I. 

Why, Muster Merry, I wanted to see him very much 
before he went on deck," he answered. 

^‘^On what account?" I asked, convinced that Toby had 
something to say, which he, at all events, considered of im- 
portance, and I thought he might just as well tell me be- 
fore he communicated it to the boatswain. He was Mr. 
Johnson's servant, it must be remembered. 

Why, sir, I don't know whether I am right or wrong," 
he whispered, coming up close to my hammock. ^‘^It's 
just this, sir. We have got, you know, some three or four 
hundred French prisoners aboard; at all events, many more 
than our own crew now numbers, as so many are away in 
the prize, and others wounded. Well, sir, as I have been 
dodging in and out among them, I have observed several of 
them in knots, talking and whispering together as if there 
was something brewing among them. Whenever I got near 
any of them they were silent, because they thought I might 
understand their lingo, though I don't. I was sure there 
was -something wrong. It might be they didn't like their 
provisions or their grog, and were going to ask for some- 
thing else, but whatever it was I made up my mind to find 
it out. At last I remembered that there is a boy aboard, 
Billy Cuff, sir, who was taken prisoner by the French, and 
lived in their country for ever so long, and he used to be very 
fond of coming out with French words, though he is not a 
bit fond of the French, for they killed his father and his 
brother, poor fellow. Thinks I to myself,, if Billy has not 
got much wits, he has got ears, and we'll see what we two 
together can find out. So I told Billy, and I got him to 


98 


THE MinSHIPMAK. 


come and stow himself away near where I knew the Frencli- 
men would soon collect, and sure enough, sir, from what 
Billy heard, they have made up their minds to try and take 
the ship. They caught Billy and me stealing away, and 
from their looks they would have pitched us overboard if 
they had dared, but we tried to seem innocent like, as if we 
didiiT think any harm, and they still fancy it^s all right. 
Now, if any of them saw me going up to speak to the 
boatswain, they might suspect that something was wrong, 
and he on their guard. IVe done right, I hope, sir?” 

Indeed you have. Bluff,” said I, higldy pleased at the 
intelligence and forethought he had shown. It proved that 
his wits were sharpening at a great rate, that, in fact, he 
had got the hay-seed out of his hair very rapidly. 

I agreed with him that it would not do to let any of the 
Frenchmen see him talking to the boatswain, because, if 
they were really going to rise, they might do so before 
preparations could be made to withstand them. He might 
go at once to Mr. Bryan or to one of the other officers, or 
to Captain Collyer himself, hut then I thought it more than 
probable that they would not believe him, so I told him to 
run up and to tell the boatswain that I wanted 2 >articularly 
to see him. 

In a short time Mr. Johnson ^s long-nosed, ruddy visage 
appeared above my hammock. I then told him, in a low 
voice, all I had heard from Toby. 

I should like to see them attempt it,” he answered , 
laughing. It^s a cock and a bull story, depend on that, 
Mr. Merry, but still you did very right in sending for me. 
It^s possible that 1 may report the circumstance to the cap- 
tain, as it^s right that he should know the zeal and intelli- 
gence exhibited by boys Bluff and Cuff, though, as I say, 
there^s nothing in it, depend on that. ” 

Notwithstanding Mr. JohnsoiBs assertion, I observed that 
he immediately sent for boy Cuff to his cabin, and, as 'I’oby 
afterward told me, interrogated him very closely as to what 
he had lieard. Nothing, however, was said to me on the 
subject, and I began to fancy that boys Bluff and Cuff had 
been deceived, or were making a mountain out of a mole- 
hill. This matter had not made me forget Macquoid s 
promised visit to us. The next morning, when we were all 
awake, I asked Bpellman how he felt. 

''Very jolly,” he answered. ^'Bxit 1 have no intention 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


99 


of getting up and bothering myself with duty for some time 
to come. Tve done enough for the good of the service to 
last me for some time.^^ 

I should think so/^ said I. I hear Macqnoid^s voice; 
here he comes. I uttered a few groans which Spellman 
repeated with considerably more vigor. I let him go on^ 
while I sat up with a pleased countenance to welcome the 
assistant-surgeon, who appeared with a big bottle contain- 
ing some black-looking stuff and a glass. Spellman went 
on groaning. 

‘‘Poor fellow, IVe got something which will do him 
good,” observed Macquoid with a twinkle in his eye. 
“Here, take this, my lad, there is nothing like it for in- 
ternal pains.” 

As he poured out the nauseous draught, the smell alone 
was so horrible that I resolved to do anything rather ‘than 
take it. Spellman, however, fearing that he should be de 
tected if he refused, held his nose with his finger and 
thumb, and with many a wry face gulped it down. 

“ Don^’t you think a little more would do him good?” said 
I, in a hurried tone. “I don’t want any myself; the fact 
is, Macquoid, that the plasters you put on yesterday did me 
so much good, and you have treated me so well altogether, 
that I feel getting quite well and strong, and have Been 
waiting all the morning for your coming, to ask if I might 
get up.” 

Macquoid shook his head at me. “AVedl see how the 
wound looks first,” said he. “But you must take a little 
of my elixir asafoetidse et licorice first. You evidently 
properly appreciate its virtues by recommending that Spell- 
man should have more of it.” 

“Ah, but you know, as you often say, when you drink 
up my grog, ‘ What’s one man’s meat, is another man’s 
poison,’ ” I answered promptly, for Macquoid was very fond 
of making use of all sorts of proverbs, especially when he 
wished to show that he was right in anything he chose to 
do. “ I have no doubt that it will do Spellman a great deal 
of good, or of course you would not give it him; it would be 
meat to him; but as I am perfectly free of pains it woidd 
be positively throwing it away on me, thoiigli I don’t say it 
Avoidd be poison, of course not.” 

“ Oh, you humbug, you arrant humbug,” exclaimed 
Spellman, sitting up in his hammock and clinching his fist 


loo 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


at me. Why, not five minutes ago, you were groaning 
away worse than I was — that he was, Macquoid. Give him 
some of your beastly stuff. It’s not fair that I should take 
it and not him. He promised to keep me company.” 

When the pains return, he shall have more of it, der 
pend on that,” said Macquoid, scarcely able to dress my 
wound for laughing. He has tasted it already. You 
shall have his allowance to-morrow if you are not better.” 

Spellman, having betrayed himself, had not only to drink 
the mixture which was made as nasty as could be, though 
probably perfectly harmless, but to get up and be ready to 
make himself useful if required. My neck was rather stiff, 
but the pain Was so slight that I felt almost able to return 
to my duty. I was glad to get about the decks, because I 
wanted to find out if Toby’s information had been believed. 
I saw nothing to indicate that any one apprehended an out- 
break of the prisoners. The officers walked the deck as 
usual, singly or in couples, with a look of perfect uncon- 
cern, and the marines were scattered about, employed in 
their ordinary occupations. A Frenchman, who was, I 
guessed, the French captain, was pacing the quarter-deck 
with Captain Oollyer, and his countenance looked very sad 
and troubled; but that arose, I concluded, because he had 
lost his ship and was a prisoner. Mr. Bryan and some of 
the other gun-room officers spoke to me very kindly, and 
congratulated me on being about again. At length Mac- 
quoid sent me below, suggesting that it might be wiser to 
take a little more of his elixir before I went to sleep, but I 
declined the favor, assuring him that the very thought of it 
restored me to unwonted strength. He laughed, and wished 
me good-night, advising me to make, the most of my time, 
as I should soon have to keep watch again. Such wide- 
awake fellows as you are can not be spared,” he observed. 
I was soon asleep. I awoke with a start. All was dark. 
I heard seven bells strike; I knew it must be toward the 
end of the first watch. The voice of an officer hailing tlie 
lookout sounded peculiarly distinct, and served to show the 
quiet which reigned on board. The sea was smooth, we 
were carrying a press of sail, and I could hear the rush of 
the shij) through the water. Suddenly the silence was 
broken by the heavy tramp of men along the deck, while 
loud shouts and shrieks seemed to burst forth from every 
point. The drum beat to quarters; and I lizard the voices 


THE MIHSHIPMAK. 


101 


of the officers in loud distinct tones perfectly free from 
agitation issuing orders. 

What is the matter?^^ I exclaimed, starting up. 

^^What can be the matter," exclaimed Spellman. ^^Are 
we all going to be murdered?" 

The matter is, -that the Frenchmen have risen, and are 
trying to take the ship," said I. And though they may 
murder us, who are unable to resist them, it^s a consola- 
tion to feel that they^’ll be knocked on the head to a certain- 
ty themselves." 

‘ canT say that I feel that any consolation at all; oh, 
dear!" cried Spellman, jumping up and beginning to dress, 
an example I followed, for I had no fancy to be killed 
without resistance. 

Gray at that moment awoke. I told him what was oc- 
curring, and that I intended to stick by him, and was grop- 
ing about to get something to fight with, when I heard a 
voice high above the shrieks and cries, which I knew to be 
that of the lieutenant of marines, shouting: 

Charge them, lads." 

Then came the steady tramp of the jollies along the deck, 
lanterns were quickly lighted, and, looking out, 1 could see 
the Frenchmen scampering off, tumbling down the hatch- 
ways, or hiding under the guns. They discovered that they 
had made a slight mistake., Not a trigger was pulled, and 
except from a few prods with the points . of bayonets, 
which caught the Frenchmen in their nether ends, no blood 
was drawn. Captain Collyer had not been quite so fast 
asleep, nor had boys Bluff and Cuff been quite so stupid as 
the Johnny Crapauds had fancied. The jollies had been 
warned to be in readiness, and before the first roll of the 
drum had sounded along the decks, they were at their posts, 
ready, as they always are, for anything. 

The Frenchmen were soon put under hatches, and their 
officers, who had not joined the conspiracy (though they 
might if it had been successful, because then it would have 
been a very gallant affair), going among them, discovered 
the ring-leaders, and dragging them out, they were put in 
irons. 

It was some time, however, before complete quiet was re- 
stored. We, that is to say my messmates and 1, assembled 
in the berths, and having discussed the matter, concluded 
that all the culprits would be hung next morning. 


102 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


As our purser’s dips did not allow us to enjoy an extra 
amount of light, we soon had to retire to our hammocks. 
AVhat was our surprise next morning to find that the 
Frenchmen were summoned aft, when their captain ap- 
peared and addressed them! I learned afterward that he 
asked them whether they had been 'well fed, comfortably 
berthed, civilly treated, and on their owning that they were, 
he told them that they were a set of ungrateful scoundrels, 
a disgrace to the French nation, and that they all deserved 
to be hung. 

Captain Collyer then stepped forward and said that, 
though they might deserve hanging, as they had fought 
their ship bravely, and as no lives had been lost, he would 
overlook their fault, but he warned them that if they made 
a similar attempt they would be severely dealt with. The 
Frenchmen retired, looking considerably ashamed of them- 
selves. The French captain then took off his hat, and 
making the most polite bow to Captain Collyer, thanked 
him for his humanity, observing that the truly brave were 
always humane. 

I could not ascertain whether Captain Collyer had heard 
what Toby had told me, but two days afterward he and 
Cuff were together, not far from the captain, when he 
turned round and said: 

My eye is upon you, boys Bluff and Cuff, and if you 
continue to behave as well as you have done, your interest 
will be cared for. 

Now I could not help thinking that they really had saved 
the ship, but it would have been inconvenient to have ac- 
knowledged this at the time, and certainly have done Bluff 
and Cuff' no real good; jirobably only have set them up, 
and made them idle. I am convinced that the captain 
acted in this matter, as he did in all others, with true kind- 
ness and judgment. 

Four or five days after this providential suppression of 
the mutiny, as I was walking the deck, having volunteered 
to return to my duty, the lookout at the mast-head hailed 
that a sail was in sight. The usual questions were asked, 
and the master, going aloft to examiiie her, pronoiniced hei* 
to be, without doubt, a line-of-battle ship. It was not 
<juite so easy to determine whether she was an enemy or a 
friend. If the former, we might have another battle to 
fight, for Captain Collyer was not the man to yield witliout 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 103 

one. Having the prize in tow, we were making all sail on 
our homeward course. 

On came the stranger. She was on our weather quarter, 
and soon showed us that she sailed faster than we did. 

Captain Collyer now hailed Mr. Lukyn, who commanded 
the 2 )rize, to say that he intended to fight the line-of-battle 
ship to the last, and then explained to him how he intended 
to manage. 

With all my heart, sir,^^ answered Mr. Lukyn, and the 
crew of the prize gave a loud cheer, to show that they were 
ready. 

The drum beat to quarters, and not only did all that were 
well assemble, but even all the sick and wounded who could 
move crawled up on deck to help man the guns. Though I 
should not have been sorry to have got home without more 
fighting, I was as ready as any one, and hoped that I should 
not get another wound, as I was quite content with the one 
I had to exhibit. A guard was kept over the prisoners, 
who were told that they would be shot down without mercy 
if they made any disturbance, and then in grim silence we 
stood ready for the fight. 

The stranger came on, but at length she began to make 
signals, and we signalized in return, and then we soon found 
out that she was not an enemy, but a friend. She proved 
to be the Hercules,^'’ 74, and as she was homeward bound, 
her ca-ptain said that he would keep us company, to help 
fight any enemy which might appear. 

We ran on for two days when the Hercules” made the 
signal of fieet to the south-east, and soon afterwai’d that 
several ships had borne up in chase. We next learned that 
they were enemies. We had still the prize in tow. Every 
stitch of canvas alow and aloft which the ship could carry 
was packed on her. It was an anxious time. To lose our 
gallantly won prize, and perhaps to be carried off to a 
French jirison, were not pleasant anticipations. 

I asked Mr. Johnson what he thought about the matter. 

Why, Mr. Merry, look you, I never anticipate evil,” 
he answered, with an expression of countenance very dif- 
ferent to what he put on when telling his wonderful yarns. 

Time enough when it comes. ^ There's many a slip be- 
tween the cup and the lip,' as you've heard say, and you'll 
find it through life. The Frenchmen out there think that 


104 


THE ^imSHrPAlAN'. 


they are going to gulp ns clown, but they may find that 
they are mistaken/^ 

Fortunately the Aigle ” was a remarkably fast vessel, 
and though she could not carry all the canvas we did, we 
towed her along easily. The Hercules^'’ acted nobly, 
and followed like a huge bull-dog at our heels, ready to 
hear the brunt of the fight should the enemy come up with 
us. Still, as we looked at the overpowering numbers of 
the Frenchmen, there appeared but little prospect of our 
escaping. There were many speculations as to what Ave 
should do. One thing was certain that our captain Avould 
not allow the Hercules to be taken without going to • 
her assistance. I asked Mr. Johnson what he thought 
about the matter. 

Why, just this, young gentleman, he answered. If 
the Frenchmen get near us, theyfil blow us out of the water, 
but theyfil have reason to be very sorry that they ever made 
the attempt. They may have our bones, but they J1 get no 
fiesh on them.^^ 

The boatswin^s reply made me meditate a good deal. I 
wanted to enjoy, midshipman -fashion, all the honor and 
glory I had gained, and I did not at all like the thoughts 
of being taken prisoner, and still less of being sent to the 
bottom with our colors flying — a very fine thing to do in 
theory, but practically excessively disagreeable. I hinted 
at my feelings to Mr. Johnson. 

^^Very natural, Mr. Merry, he answered. ^^But, just 
think, if you were taken prisoner, how satisfactory it would 
be to make your escape, and if the ship were to go down 
or blow lip, how pleasant it ivould be to find yourself swim- 
ming away safely to land! Follow my example. Draiv 
nourishment from the toughest food. Did I ever tell you 
hoAV I Avas once blown up a hundred fathoms at least, right 
into the air? When I came doAvn again I plunged as deep 
into the sea, but I struck out and came to the surface, for 
I knew that I must help myself, as there Avas nobody who 
could help me. I got hold of six of my companions and 
towed them ashore, a couple of miles or so. Very few oth- 
ers escaped. Noav, if I had given in, they and I Avould 
have been lost, and his majesty's service would have been 
deprived of one of the best bo'suns to be found in it. I say 
this Avithout vanity — ^because it's a fact." 


THE MIDBH Il’.MAN. 105 

1 found it difficult sometimes to ascertain whether Mr. 
Johnson was really serious or joking. 

The enemy were all this time chasing and coming up 
rapidly with us. Even Captain Collyer looked anxious. 
AVe, however, were all ready for the fight we anticipated. 

If we can keep well ahead of them till night comeson, 
we may give them the slip,^^ I heard the captain observe to 
Mr. Bryan. It may be more prudent on the present oc- 
casion to fly than to fight, but I am sure that every man 
will fight to the last if it comes to fighting. 

^^That they will, sir. T never saw the people in better 
spirits,” answered the second lieutenant. ^^They are like 
a buH-dog with a captured bone. They are not inclined 
to yield it without a desperate tussle. ” 

From all I heard I began to think whether I should not 
go and write a letter home, to tell them that when they 
received it I should have fallen fighting for my king and 
country; but then Spellman appeared on deck. He looked 
so absurd with his lugubrious countenance, and the plas- 
ters still on his cheeks, that I burst into a fit of laughfei, 
and, all my apprehensions vanishing, I was in a minute 
joking away with my messmates as usual. 


CHAPTER VIl. 

The Doris” under all sail, with our hard-won prize 
in tow, kept standing to the northward, the gallant Her- 
cules” bringing up the rear, wliile the French fleet, like a 
pack of yelping hounds, followed full chase at our heels. 

A stern chase is a long chase, and so we hoped this 
might prove, without an end to it. 

Our glasses, as may be supposed, were constantly turneo 
toward the enemy. They had not gained much on us when 
the sun went down and darkness stole over the surface ol 
the ocean. Clouds were gathering in the sky— there was 
no moon, and the stars were completely obscured. It was 
in a short time as dark a night as we could desire. Ihe 

Hercules,” looking like some huge monster stalking over 
the deep, now ranged up past us, and a voice from her oi- 
dered us to tack to the westward, and keep close to her. 
This we did though we had no little difficulty in keeping 
togetlier without b’glhs, which we did not show, lest we 
might have bcoii seen by the enemy. 


106 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


The next morning, ivhen we looked round, not one of 
tlie French squadron was in sight, greatly to the vexation of 
our prisoners, who had hoped by this time to have seen the 
scales turned on us. AVe were out of the frying-pan, but 
before long we had reason to fear that we had tumbled into 
the fire. 

Two days after this, when morning broke, we found our- 
selves enveloped by a thick fog. There was but little wind, 
and the sea was perfectly smooth. Suddenly the distant 
roar of a gun burst on our ears. It was answered by an- 
other much nearer; a third boomed over the waters on the 
other side of us. Others followed ; then fog-bells began to 
ring — louder and more distinct they sounded; and more 
guns were fired. 

AVhaFs all that about?” I asked of the boatswain, who 
was looking out on the forecastle. 

^^AVhy, that we are in the middle of a big fleet of men- 
of-war, and if, as I suspect, they are French, and they 
catch sight of us, they’ll make mincemeat of our carcasses 
in pretty quick time,” he answered, squirting a whole river 
of tobacco juice overboard, a proof to me that he was not 
pleased with the state of affairs. 

AVhy, I thought it was a French fleet escaped from 
only two days ago,” I remarked. 

So it was, and this is another,” he answered. In my 

opinion we shall never get tilings to rights till we send to 
the bottom every French ship there is afloat, and we shall 
do that before long if we can but get a good stand-up fight 
— that’s my opinion.” 

Mr. Johnson was right, as subsequent events proved, 
'^rhe fog was so dense that we could not see a single sail, 
close as we^were to them, and we expected every instant to 
run into one, or to be hailed and probably discovered. The 
nien were sent without noise to their quarters, for of course 
it was resolved that we should fight our v^ay out from the 
midst of our enemies. 

On we glided. The dim form of a ship was seen on our 
starboard bow. Our course was slightly altered, but it was 
only to get nearer to another. A Frenchman hailed. Cap- 
tain Collyer answered; what he said I do not know. It 
seemed to satisfy the stranger. No shot was fired,, and we 
stood on. Still there was something pecu]:?rly solemn and 
awful in tlie feeling that at any moment we ‘might be on- 


THE MIDSHTPMAK. 


107 

gaged in an encounter against the most overwhelming odds. 
Again the upper sails of another ship appeared. Prom 
their height she was evidently a ship which might have 
sunk us with a broadside. By seeing this second shi]!, 
Captain Collyer was able to ascertain in what direction the 
enemy^’s fleet was standing. As soon as he had done this, 
our helm was put up, and away we noiselessly glided to the 
westward. The bells were soon no longer heard — the boom 
of the guns became fainter and fainter every minute, and 
at length we had the satisfaction of feeling that we were 
well clear of them. 

Depend on it, you have never been nearer inside a 
French prison or a watery grave than you have been this 
morning,” observed Mr. Johnson to me. 

I donT know that. AVhen I was aboard the lugger, 
and floating about in the Channel, I was rather nearer both 
one and the other,” I answered. 

You thought you were, but, as the event proved, you 
were not,” said the boatswain. Depend on it, I am right, 
Mr. Merry. If the captain had not been a good- French 
scholar our fate would have been sealed long before this. 
We never know on what apparently trivial circumstances 
our safety depends.” 

Mr. Johnson, it may have been remarked, was never at a 
loss for an argument or a remark of some sort. His per- 
tinacity in that respect puts me in mind of a certain kind- 
hearted royal duke with whom I once had the honor of 
dining — a number of naval and military officers being 
present. 

Captain R ,” said he, addressing one of them, 

how is your father.^” 

Your royal highness, he is dead,” was the answer. 

^^Oh! is he.^ poor fellow! Then how is your mother?” 

Your royal highness, she is dead, also.” 

^‘^Oh, is she! Then which died first?” asked the duke 
in a tone which made it very difficult even for the best-bred 
of the company to I'efrain from laughing. 

Without further adventure the Doris” and her prize 
arrived safely in Plymouth Sound. 

AVe waited 'anxiously for the report of the dock-yard 
authorities, who at length gave it as their opinion that the 
frigate had got so knocked about that she must go into dock 
to be re2)aire(l. Everybody was in a great hurry to get 


THE MTHSHIPMAX. 


TOR 

loiive. Til consequence of our liaving been wounded. Gray 
and Spellman and I obtained it at once, and I invited them 
to pay my family a visit in Leicestershire on their way 
to their own homes. I got leave also for Toby Blufit' to 
accompany us. 

^^1^11 spare him to you, Mr. Merry, said Mr. Johnson. 

Take care you bring him back, for he will one day do 
credit to the service in his humble path, just as I flatter 
myself I do credit to it in mine, and I hope that you, Mr. 
Merry, will one day in yours. YouVe made a very good 
beginning, and you may tell your friends that the boatswain 
of the ship says so. Let them understand that the boat- 
swain is a very important personage, and they will be 
satisfled that you are a rising young officer. ” 

We got a sufficient amount of prize-money advanced to 
enable us to perform our journey, which we did partly in a 
coach and partly in post-chaises. The latter mode of 
traveling we agreed was by far the pleasantest. After we 
left the coach we went along very steadily for a stage or so. 

This is slow work, observed Spellman. vote we 
make more sail. Looking out of the window he sung out, 
‘‘ Heave ahead, my hearty. There^s a crown for you if you 
make the craft walk along. 

Although the postboy did not understand my messmate^s 
language he did our gestures and the mention of the crown, 
and on we went at a great rate, turning up the dust as the 
gallant Loris ” was wont to do the brine, and making the 
stones fly in every direction. 

At last one of the postilions, who entered into our humor, 
proposed getting a horn for us. We eagerly accepted the 
offer, and he said he would purchase one from the guard 
of a coach, who lived near the road a little way on. It 
was rather battered, and we paid a high price, but when we 
found that Toby could blow it effectually, we would have 
luid it at any price. 

Proud of his acquisition Toby mounted the box, and he, 
blowing with might and main, highly delighted, on Ave 
dashed. 

I ought to have said that, before we left the ship. Gray 
and I had presented to us the two small flags we had nailed 
to the cross jack yard in the action with the Aigle.’’^ 

At the last stage Ave agreed that Ave would do something 
to astonish the natives, so Ave ordered an open barouche, 


THE MTHSHTPAfAK'. 


109 


which we saw in the yard, with four horses. We got out 
our flags, and improvised another for Spellman; these we 
secured to sticks, which we cut from the road-side. Toby 
trumpeting like a young elephant, we waving our flags and 
shouting at the top of our voices, up we dashed in gallant 
style to the hall door, and I believe did astonish them most 
completely. 

Never, indeed, had the family of Merrys been in a greater 
commotion than we had the satisfaction of throwing them 
into by our arrival. It was the holidays, and all my broth- 
ers and sisters were at home. Out rushed my father and 
mother, and Bertha and Edith and Winnifred, while my 
brothers Cedric and Athelstane, and Egbert and Edwin, 
hurried up from various quarters, and every servant in the 
house was speedily collected, and everybody laughed and 
cried by turns, and the postboys grinned, and I was kissed 
and hugged by all in succession — Gray and Spellman com- 
ing in for their share — till I bethought me that I would 
create a still greater sensation: so, when good Mrs. Pot- 
jam, the housekeeper, was beginning to hug me, as was 
her wont in days gone by, I shrieked out — 

Oh, dear! oh, my wound! my wound!” 

My shipmates, seeing the etfect produced, imitated my 
example. 

^^What, wounded, my dear child? What, have you 
been wounded?” exclaimed my mother and sisters in chorus. 

^^Of course I have; and do you think those deep dim- 
ples on Spellman^s cheeks — I forgot to introduce him, by 
the bye. Mr. Spellman, midshipman of His Britannic Ma- 
jesty^’s frigate ‘ Doris ^ — Mr. , Mrs. , and the Miss and Mas- 
ter Merrys and their faithful domestics — do you think tliat 
those deep dimples are natural? No, indeed, a shot went 
through his cheeks — right through — and those are the 
scars. See how Gray limps — I forgot, I ought to have in- 
troduced him. Mr. George Gray, also midshipman of His 
Britannic Majesty ^s frigate ^ Doris, ^ and ’my esteemed 
friend and messmate; and for myself, I can scarcely yet 
use my arm. So you see we are heroes who have fought 
and bled for our country. ” 

In those days, as there were not so many newspapers as 
at present, people were compelled to be their own trumpet- 
ers more than would now be considered correct. Some also 


110 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


trumpeted overmuch, knowing tliat tliere was not the prob- 
ability that there is at present of their being found out. 

This statement of mine increased, as I thought it would, 
the respect all were inclined to pay us. Dinner was just 
going on the table, and when we had satisfied our hunger, 
all our tongues were busily emjfioyed in our peculiar styles 
in recounting our adventures. The butler and footman 
often stoj)23ed to listen, and not a little forgot their projjer 
d uties. 

One 2 )laced an empty dish before my mother, into wliich 
the cook had forgot to jiut the poultry; the butler filled my 
father^s glass with fish soy, and two of the men bolted tilt 
against each other, and capsized the remains of a sirloin of 
beef over the carpet, with which one of them was hurry- 
ing off after waiting to listen to the fag-end of one of my 
narratives. 

Toby Bluff was as busily employed in the servants^ hall, 
and from the broad grins on the countenances of the foot- 
men 3 ,s they returned to the dining-room, I have no doubt 
that his narratives were of a facetious character. 

I never have spent so jolly a time as I did during that 
visit home. Our wounds did not incommode us; we had. 
evei^tliing our own way, and all my family and friends 
made a vast deal of us. 

At length a neAVspaper arrived giving an account of the 
capture of the Aigle and confirming all I had said; and 
when, two nights after, we appeared at a country ball, and 
as we entered the room the band struck up See the Con- 
(|uering Hero Comes, we were in higher feather than evei*. 

Gray and Spellman had, however, to go and see their 
own friends, and they enjoyed the rather doubtful advan- 
tage of again undergoing the same treatment they had re- 
ceived at our house. When they were gone, and the nine 
days of wonder were over, I found myself sinking into a 
i-ather more ordinary personage. In those good old days, 
however, midshipmen who had been in an engagement and 
got wounded were somebodies — at all events, if their fa- 
thers had fine country-seats and saw a number of guests. 

Time sped on. I do not think my family were tired of 
me, but when the Doris "" was reported ready for sea, 
they calmly acquiesced in the necessity of my rejoining her 
Avitliout delay, and so Toby and I found ourselves packed 


THE MlDSHll’MAN. 


IJl 


off in li yellow cluiise, and directed to find our way back to 
riy mouth as fast as we could. 

We made the journey without any adventure, and on our 
arrival on board found that Mr. Lukyn had been promoted, 
and that Mr. Bryan was the first lieutenant. As soon as 
we had reported ourselves we dived below to the berth to 
hear the news. Two new lieutenants had joined — the sec- 
ond was a Mr. Patrick Fitzgerald. I need not say that he 
was an Irishman. He was pronounced to be a most extraor- 
dinary fish, and he positively seemed to take a pleasure 
in being so considered. He had a big head covered with 
reddish hair, which stuck out straight as if he was always 
in a fright, his complexion was richly freckled, his eyes 
small but twinkling, and his nose, though not prominent, 
was of ample dimensions as to width. This beautiful head- 
piece was placed on the broadest of shoulders. His body 
was somewhat short, but his legs were proportioned to bear 
the frame of an elephant. He was, as he used to boast, 
entirely Irish from truck to keelson, but certainly not of a 
high-class type. The third lieutenant was an Englishman. 
This was fortunate. Mr. Haisleden was a steady trust- 
worthy man, and had a good deal the cut of a first lieuten- 
ant about him. It is said that, as a rule. Irishmen make 
better soldiers than sailors, and perhaps this is the case. 
If inclined to be wild they are apt to out-Herod Herod. 
The strict rules of naval discipline do not suit their natural 
temperament. Paddy Fitzgerald was a case in point, but a 
more amusing fellow and better messmate never lived. The 
ship was again almost ready for sea. Peri^al, who had got 
leave, came on board, looking very sad at having had again 
to part from his wife. Spellman and Gray joined the next 
day. There had been no changes in our berth. Perigal 
6ught certainly to have been promoted, but he was not. 

When the ship is paid off, I suppose that I shall be,'’^ he 
observed with a sigh. It was soon reported that we were 
ordered out to the West Indies. Gray and I took an oppor- 
tunity of asking Mr. Johnson what sort of a country we 
should find out there. 

One thing I will tell you, young gentlemen, yoidll find 
it hot enough to boil your blood up a bit,’^ ho answered ; 
^^as to cooking a beefsteak on the capstan-head, thaPs 
nothing, but what do you say to finding all the fowls in 
the hencoops roasted and fit for tablei^ and all you have 


112 


THE MIDSHIPMAN". 


to do, is to hold a burning glass over a bucket of water 
with fish swimming about in it, and in five minutes youll 
have them all thoroughly boiled. ” 

Gray and I laughed. 

^^Well, Mr. Johnston, it must be hot indeed,^’ said 1, 
and, though I did not exactly put faith in his account, I 
began to wish that we had. been bound elsewhere. Tlie 
boatswain saw Spellman listening with mouth agape. 

Hot, I believe you,^’ he continued; did you ever sit 
on a red-hot gridiron with your feet under the grate, your 
head in the fire, and your fists in boiling water? If you 
ever did, you’ll have some notion of what you’ll have to 
go through in the dog days out in those parts. ” 

‘‘^Oh, dear! oh, dear!” exclaimed Spellman: ^‘^why, we 
shall all be downright roasted. ” 

I’ve a notion there’s some one being roasted now,” ob- 
served Mr. Johnson, with a wink and a curl of his nose. 
^^Iloasted! Oh, dear, no: all we’ve to do, is to sit up to 
our necks in casks of water, and bob our heads under every 
now and then. To be sure, there is a fear that we may all 
turn into blackamoors, but that is nothing when a man 
gets accustomed to it. I don’t see why a dark skin should 
not be as good as a white one. Though they don’t all talk 
the same lingo, they’ve as much sense in their woolly 
heads as white men, that’s my opinion; and so young gen- 
tlemen, when you get among them out there, just treat 
them as if they were ^ same nature as yourselves, and 
you’ll find that they will behave well to you, and will be 
faithful and true.” 

Mr. Johnson’s remarks were interrupted by the appear- 
ance of Toby Bluff, who came to summon him on deck. 
Blue Peter was fiying from aloft. In ten minutes after- 
ward the capstan bars were manned, the merry pipe was . 
heard, and a sturdy gang of our crew tramping round, the 
anchor was hove up, the topsails were let fall, and away the 
Doris ” once more glided over the wide sea toward the far 
west. We had a rapid passage without meeting with an 
enemy; indeed, scarcely a sail hove in sight. .We made St. 
’riiomas, and stood across the Caribbean Sea toward Ja- 
maica. Hot it was, but not so hot as Mr. Johnson had led 
us to expect. 

Wait a bit,” he remarked. It’s now winter; just let 
us see what the summer will be like. ” 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


113 


We were not destined to enter Port Royal. We had been 
making good progress toward it, when three sail were seen 
from the mast-head. As enemies of all nations just then 
swarmed in every direction, it was more likely that we 
shoidd have to fight than that we should meet with friends. 
The strangers approached. There were three ships not 
smaller than frigates certainly, perhaps larger. Still we 
knew that Captain Collyer would not dream of running 
away while there was a possibility of coming olf victorious. 

If he did run, it would only be to induce the enemy to fol- 
low. The decks were cleared for action. Slowly we closed, 
when at length' the strangers began to signalize, and we 
discovered that they formed' the squadron of Captain Bris- 
bane, who directed Captain Collyer to join him; except 
that, in case of parting company, we were ordered to ren- 
dezvous at Aruba, a small island about twenty leagues to 
the westward of Curagoa, we remained in ignorance of what 
was about to be done, though that there was something in 
the wind we had little doubt. Various opinions were ex- 
pressed; some thought that as the Dutch had chosen to fol- 
low Napoleon^s advice, and go to war with us, we should * 
attack the island of Cura 9 oa itself, to show them that they 
had better have remained at peace; but the general idea 
was that, as it was strongly fortified, we should not make 
such an attempt without large re-enforcements. We did 
not know then what sort of stuif the commodore was 
made of. 

On the evening of the 22d of December, we anchored at 
the west end of Aruba, and we soon learned that Captain 
Brisbane had not only resolved to attack Curaqoa, but that 
he had a first-rate plan, all cut and dry, just suited to the 
tastes of British seamen. He had learned that the Dutch 
had a custom of finishing the old year by getting very tipsy; 
high and low, old and. young, men and women, all imbibed 
as large an amount of schiedam as they could manage to 
stow away. Even ladies, young and fair, went about the 
streets offering glasses of the attractive liquor to their ac- 
quaintances and friends, and it w^ould have been a positive 
insult to have refused it from their hands. The conse- 
quence was that the inhabitants, military and civil, had no 
inclination to get up in the morning, and even guards and 
lookout men were apt to go to sleep at their posts. Cap- 
tain Brisbane formed his plans accordingly, and fixed day- 


114 


THE MIDSHIPMAI^. 


break on January the 1st as the moment for attack. We 
sailed again on the 24th, and had a long beat up against 
the trades toward the east end of Cura 9 oa. Our time, how- 
ever, was busily em^doyed in.making scaling ladders, sharp- 
ening cutlasses, and manufacturing every bit of red cloth 
or stuff we could find into soldiers°coats, as also in arrang- 
ing other badges, by which each Shipp’s company could b^e 
easily distinguished. Each crew was thus divided into 
storming parties, under the lieutenants and senior mates, 
the captain acting as leader. The boatswains were ordered 
to place themselves at the heads of parties with ladders to 
scale the walls, and crowbars to break open the gates. 

Mr. Johnson was in high glee. We shall see what we 
shall see, and I am very much mistaken if we donT teach 
the Mynheers a lesson they will not easily forget,'^ he ex- 
claimed, as he reviewed the articles under his directions. 

AVe made the high land of St. Barbary, at the east end 
of the Curagoa before the year was an hour old, and we 
then had a fair wind, the regular south-east trade, to run 
for the harbor of St. Ann^s, situated on the south-east of 
the island. Every one was in high spirits. We knew full 
well that the enterprise was a difficult and dangerous one, 
but we saw that it was planned with consummate prudence 
and forethought, and we felt perfect confidence" that it 
would succeed. It was no chikBs jday we were about to 
perform, as, the gallant Arethusa leading, we stood for 
the harbor, with our boats in tow, ready at a moment^s 
notice to disembark the storming parties. We felt very 
])roud, for we were going to show what blue jackets could 
do when left to themselves. I was stationed on the fore- 
castle, and so was Gray, with our glasses constantly at our 
eyes. Before us appeared the narrow entrance of the har- 
bor, only fifty fathoms wide; indeed, it nowhere exceeds a 
cpiarter of a mile in width. On ouf right appeared Fort 
Amsterdam, mounting no less than sixty guns in two tiers, 
capable, it seemed, of blowing us all out of the water, while 
there was a chain of forts on the oppo^te side, and at the 
bottom of the harbor, the fortress, said to be impregnable, 
of Fort Kepublique, enfilading the whole, and almost within 
grape-shop distance. Athwart the harbor were moored a 
Dutch thirty-six gun frigate and a twenty-gun ' corvette. 
The coni inodore had been ordered to diplomatize, and so 
lie did in the most efiectual way, for wc all sailed in with a 


THE HIDSHIPMAH. 115 

flag of truce flying, but with the guns run out and the men 
at their quarters. 

The Mynheers, however, were not inclined to listen to 
reason, but, waking up, and seeing some strangers in their 
harbor, they hurried to their guns, and began firing away 
at us. Their aim was not very good, and few shots hit us. 
On we steadily sailed. Suddenly there was a cry of disap- 
pointment; the wind had shifted, and, coming down the 
harbor, very nearly drove ns on shore. There seemed every 
prospect of our being compelled to abandon the enterprise. 
The men in their enthusiasm wished to tow the frigates up. 
Again it shifted. Our sails filled; the men cheered "heartily. 
Once more up along the harbor we lay till we brought our 
broadsides to bear on the forts and the two Dutch ships, the 

Arethusa^s jib-boom being right over the town. It was 
just dawn; a boat was dispatched by the commodore for the 
shore; she bore a summons to the Dutch governor to sur- 
render, promising to treat him and everybody with the 
utmost civility if he would; but Mynheer von Tronk was in 
no humor to listen to any of the more refined arguments 
Captain Brisbane had to otfer; so the fiag of truce was 
hauled down, and we had recourse to the argimentum ad 
liominem, or, in other words, we began blazing away from 
all the guns we could bring to bear. This fully roused up 
the sleepy Dutchmen, and we could see them (Mr. John- 
son declared that many of them had their breeches in their 
hands) rushing into the boats to get on board their ships, 
or hurrying to the batteries, which had hitherto maintained 
a very inefectual fire. We had given them just three 
broadsides, when the commodore at the head of a part of 
his crew put off from the Arethusa ” and pulled for the 
Dutch frigate. Up her sides we saw him and his gallant 
fellows climbing. We longed to be with them. The Dutch 
fought bravely, as they always do, but liquor had unnerved 
their arms. The conflict, though short, was sharp. Down 
came the Dutch flag, and up went that of England, but 
not till the Dutch captain and several of his crew had been 
killed, and numbers wounded. The brave captain Lydiard of 
the Anson captured the corvette in the same style. Still 
close to us frowned the fort, capable it seemed of sinking 
every otie of our ships in a few minutes. 

We must take them, Bryan, without loss of time,^^ I 
heard our caiffain observe, as I was sent up with a mes- 


116 


THIO JMIDSHTPMAK. 


sage to liim. Scarcely had lie uttered the words, when the 
signal to land was made. In a wonderfully few minutes 
the boats were manned and crowded with small-arm men, 
and with ladders and crowbar bearers. I accompanied Mr. 
Johnson with the ladder-bearers^ party. While the crow- 
bar men, proceeded to the gates, we made the best of our 
way to the walls. Our chief hope was to succeed by a dash. 
'Idle Dutchmen numbered ten to one to us, and they were 
no cowards, only slow. As yet they had not half opened 
their eyes or they might have counted our numbers, and 
discovered that our idlers, dressed in red coats, were not 
really soldiers. Mr. Johnson was in his glory; the exploit 
was one exactly to suit his taste. 

That commodore of ours is a first-rate fellow, Mr. 
Merry, he exclaimed, as we pulled on shore. If he was 
First Lord, and I was admiral of the fieet, we should soon 
drive every enemy^s ship ofi the seas.^"' 

On shore we sprung, and under a pretty hot fire we rush- 
ed toward the walls. The ladders were placed, in sjiite of 
the efforts of the half -drunken Dutchmen, to prevent this, 
many of them toppling over into the ditch, in their at- 
tempts to shove them off. Up our men swarmed, their 
cutlasses in their teeth. Mr. Bryan led one party, Mr. 
Fitzgerald another; the latter with a loud shriek, which he 
called his family war-cry — it sounded like Wallop a hoo 
a boo, Erin go bragh — sprung on to the walls. ' A big 
Dutchman stood ready with a long sword to meet him, and 
would certainly have swept off his head, had he noLnimbly 
dodged on one side with so extraordinary a grimace, that 
he not only escaped free, but, swinging round his own cut- 
lass, he cut off the head of the unfortunate Dutchman, who 
was watching him with astonishment. Then on he went, 
cutting right and left, and putting the wide-breeched enemy 
to flight on every side. I followed by Mr. Johnson; I 
knew that I was in good company when I was near him, 
and that though we should most certainly be in the thick 
of the fight, so long as he kept on his legs he would have 
an eye on me. AVe did not gain the top of the walls with- 
out being opposed, but the Dutchmen literally could not 
see how to strike. A fat bombardier, however, made a butt 
at me, and would have sent me over again, had not the 
boatswain seized me by the collar, when the bombardier 
went over himself, and lay sprawling under the feet of our 


THT5 :MTT)SHIPMAK. 


117 


men at the bottom. Then on we went, firing our pistols, 
and slashing right and left. A loud huzza from the sea- 
gate announced to us that had been forced open, and the 
llutchmen finding that the day was ours, and persuaded 
that discretion was the best part of valor, threw down their 
arms, and shouted out lustily for quarter. It was gladly 
given them ; indeed, there was no real animosity between 
us, and officers and men were soon seen shaking hands to- 
gether in the most friendly way possible. We had taken 
just ten minutes to do the work. However, we had some 
more places to capture, so locking up our prisoners with a 
a guard over them, out we went again, and climbed up the 
walls of several other minor forts in succession, the same 
scenes taking place at each. There was a great deal of 
shouting and running, but very little blood shed. Mr. 
Fitzgerald shrieked and shouted, Wallop a boo a boo,^^ 
as before, and made terrific grimaces. Mr. J ohnson watch- 
ed him with great admiration. 

Some men make their fortune by their good looks, Mr. 
Merry, he observed. But to my mind, that second lieu- 
tenant of ours is more likely to make his by his ugliness. 
It^s a proof that the gifts bestowed on man are very equally 
divided. He would be nothing without that curious mug 
of his. 

The Dutch flag still flew defiantly from Fort Eepublique, 
at the head of the harbor. Garrisons were left ,in each of 
the forts, and with a large body of prisoners as hostages we 
once more returned on bboard our ships. We now opened 
a hot fire on the forts. I observed to Mr. Johnson that I 
heard some of the Dutch officers whom we had as prisoners 
declare that it was impregnable. 

Very likely, he answered coolly. But you see, Mr. 
Merry, British seamen have a knack of getting into im- 
pregnable places, as we shall very soon show them;” 

Just then the order was received from the commodore to 
disembark the marines and a body of seamen from each 
ship. I was delighted again to be all owed to go. W e landed 
under the protection of the guns of the captured frigate, 
and made the best of our way round toward the rear of the 
fort, while the ships kept hurling their shot at it in front. 
I rather think the Dutchmen in the fort did not see us, as 
we pushed on among sugar-caneS, coffee, and cotton planta- 
tions. We got into the rear of the fort after nearly an 


118 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


lioiir^s very hot inarch, and then making a dash toward the ’ 
walls, we were half-way up them before the Dutchmen | 
found out what we were about. Many of the ofiicers indeed ; 
w^ere quietly smoking their meerschaums, looking down the 
harbor, while they directed the artillerymen at the guns. 

When they discovered us, dashing down their pipes, they 
hurried to oppose our progress, but it was too late. Our 
footing was obtained in their impregnable fortress, and ex- 1 
ulting in our success, we dashed on. Still the Dutchmen ' 
fought very bravely. As I kept by Mr. Johnson'’s side, I 
observed the flutter of some white dresses j ust before us. 
They were those of ladies, I guessed, who had been sent to 
the fort for security, and who now, taken by surprise, were 
endeavoring to make their escape from us. Not knowing 
where they were going, they ran right in among a party of 
our men, who, not intending to hurt them, at all events , 
began to treat them in a way which naturally caused them 
very considerable annoyance and alarm. The truth is, 
when soldiers and sailors take a place by storm, they be- ' 
come more like wild beasts than human beings, and I have 
witnessed scenes in my career which make me even now 
shudder to think of. 

The men into whose hands the ladies had fallen did not 
belong to our ship. There was no ofiBcer with them; so, ^ 
calling to Mr. Johnson, I ran on. Three of the ladies were * 
elderly, ]3ut there were five others, mostly young — one 
especially was, at least so I thought, a very pretty fair girl. 
She looked pale and terribly frightened. * 

Let those women alone, shouted Mr. Johnson ; but the 
men only looked defiantly at him, and seemed in no way , 
inclined to obey, which put him in a great rage. 

A boatswain has but little authority except over the men 
of his own ship. ( 

Mind your own business,” cried one of the marines. ‘ 
What have you got to say to us?” ■ 

J ust then the ladies got more frightened than ever. The : 
youngest lady screamed, and, I thought, looked toward me. 

1 sprung forward — I felt more like a man than I had ever 
before done. 

Let go your hqld,^^ I exclaimed in a tone of authority 
to the fellow who had his hand on the fair girTs arm. If I 
one of you dares to interfere with these ladies, I will have I 


THE MIDSHIPMAN". Ill) 

him up before the commodore, and hedLmake short w^ork 
with the matter. 

The fellow still looked defiant. 

‘^Let go/^ I again shouted, rushing at him with my 
dirk. 

AVhat I might have done I do not know, but at that 
moment a bullet struck him in the head, and knocked him 
over. 

It was supposed that I had shot the man, and a good 
many, even of his party, siding with me and Mr. Johnson, 
the ladies were released. 

I made signs to the ladies, and endeavored to assure them 
in French that they were safe. 

I speak English, said the young lady. Thank you — 

thank you very much. 

The Dutch soldiers had in the meantime thrown down 
their arms and taken to flight. The shot which had 
Avounded the man was nearly the last fired. The Dutch 
flag was hauled down, and the shouts of our men pro- 
claimed that in about four hours we had captured, Avith the 
loss of three killed and fourteen wounded, one of the 
strongest fortresses in the West Indies. 

I was determined not to lose sight of the ladies till I had 
j)laced them in safety. I found that the youngest was the 
niece of the governor, and that she had a sister and her 
mother Avith her. The governor's daughter, a buxom-look- 
ing damsel, was also of the party. I conducted them all to 
Captain Lydiard Avho commanded the expedition, and their 
carriages and horses being found in the fort, he ordered 
that they should be conveyed back into the town under an 
escort. I was highly delighted when I found that I miglit 
accompany it. Perigal had commaiid. The British flag 
Avas flying from every fort and ship in the harbor, and 
many of the Avorthy burghers, when their schiedam-steeped 
senses returned and they opened their eyes, as they looked 
out oF their windows, could not make out what had oc- 
curred. We were treated with the greatest respect by 
everybody we met, and the ladies endeavored to show their 
gratitude by every means in their power. As soon as Ave 
had seen them to their OAvn homes we Avere to return on 
board. I found that the young lady/s name Avas Essa von 
Eranlich. 

You will come and see us very often, Mr. Merry/’ she 


120 


THE MlDSHll’MA.]^. 


exclaimed in a very foreign accent, though lier jdiraseology 
Avas pretty correct. We want to show how much we love 
you, and we make nice cake for you, and many other good 
things.'’^ 

The elder ladies were more demonstrative, and wanted to 
kiss me, which I thought very derogatory to my dignity. 

I shook hands warmly with them all round, and as I 
began Avith Miss Essa, I thought it incumbent upon me to 
finish off with her. 

The townspeople were very civil as we made our Avay 
doAm to the boats. Indeed, they did not seem to mind at 
all Avhat had happened. It was all the same to them which 
flag fleAv over the forts. The English had gained a char- 
acter for justice and honesty, and they were inclined to look 
upon us as likely to prove good customers, and were, in 
fact, very glad to see us. They, indeed, probably thought 
that it was a pity any opposition whatever should have been 
offered to our entrance. 

Our Avork was not entirely accomplished. There was still 
a fort of some strength, a few miles from the town. A 
party of marines and blue-jackets was marched out to take 
it, Avhich they very speedily did, as the commandant offered 
no resistance, but, hearing that his chief had capitulated, 
yielded on being summoned. Thus, by noon, the whole of 
a rich and fertile island, containing forty-five thousand in- 
habitants, and well fortified, was in our possession, while 
the whole force we could muster among the four frigates 
was twelve hundred men. With these we had to man our 
prizes, to garrison the forts, to protect the country, and to 
keep the town in order. 

Captain Brisbane was, I must say, a host in himself. He 
Avas a fine tall man, with Very popular manners; and though 
he shoAved that he Avould not alloAV tricks to be played, he 
ingratiated himself Avonderfully with all classes. He took 
great pains to conceal from the Hutch the paucity of our 
numbers, and hinted that as long as the inhabitants be- 
haved themselves he would keep his troops on board instead 
of quartering them on the toAvn. 

These troops were represented by the idlers of the different 
ships, and occasionally seamen, dressed up in red coats and 
made to parade the deck. He formed also a body-guard of 
all the marines Avho could ride, and Avith them at his heels 
he made ^ point of galloping about the country and visiting 


THE MTDSHTPHAK. 


121 


the outposts. He never appeared abroad without being 
accompanied by them. They were known as Captain 
Brisbane^’s horse-marines. Though horse-marines are often 
spoken of, it was the only time I ever saw such a body 
either on shore or afloat. 

W e had a very active time of it, every one doing double 
work, and endeavoring to make it appear as if we had 
double our real numbers. The lieutenants used to put on 
the marine officers^ undress uniforms and all would go on 
shore together. Fitzgerald unconsciously very nearly be- 
trayed the trick, for his remarkable features were not easily 
forgotten, and on the first day he appeared in his military 
character, we saw the Dutchmen, as well as some ladies, 
eying him narrowly. They could not conceive it possible 
two such ugly fellows should be found in the same squadron. 

Fortunately Mr. Bryan was Avith us, and having plenty 
of presence of mind, he began to talk about Fitzgerald^s 
naval brother who remained on board. 

Captain Collyer, however, thought it prudent to prohibit 
him from again appearing in a military character on shore. 
Mr. Fitzgerald could not understand this, as he was not at 
all aware of the peculiarity of his own physiognomy, and 
declared that he was very hardly treated. 

I was very anxious to get on shore, that I might pay my 
promised visit to Essa von Fraulich and her relatives. As 
bigger men were wanted on shore, and as the midshipmen 
were found capable of performing various duties in the 
ship. Gray and I and others were, much to our disappoint- 
ment, compelled to stay on board. Mr. Johnson also re- 
mained on board. 

take it as an especial compliment,'’^ he observed. 

The fact is, you see, Mr. Merry, that I am Avorth five or 
six men at least in the ship, and, in appearance, at least, 
little more than one out of it, and so I am doomed to re- 
main, while others are enjoying themselves on terra firma.’^ 


CHAPTER VIII. 

Ih consequence of so many of the officers being on shore, 
the boatswain had charge of a watch. He trod the deck 
Avith considerable dignity, and a stranger coming on board 
Avould undoubtedly have taken him for the captain. 


122 


THE MinSKTPMAK. 


I was in his watcli, and as there Avas nothing to do Avheii 
it occurred at night, except to see that the sentries Avere on 
the lookout, that the anchors were not dragging, or tlie- 
sliip on fire, I ahvays got him into conversation; and one 
evening. Gray and Spellman having joined us, Ave begged 
him to go on with the account of his iid ventures at the 
north pole, of which for a long time we had heard nothing. 

'"I would oblige you, with all my heart, young gentle- 
men, if I could but recollect where I left off,” he answered, 
in a Avell-pleased^tone. Let me see. Was I living on the 
top of an iceberg, or dancing reels Avith polar bears, or—” 
No, Mr. Johnson, you had just found your old ship- 
mates, and were living quietly Avith them in their winter 
quarters, waiting for a ship to take you off. ” 

So I was — ah— Avell,” said the boatswain. As I Avas 
telling you, when last I broke off in my most veracious nar- 
rative, after Ave had talked on for a week, our tongues be- 
gan to get somewhat tired, and we remembered that it 
would be necessary to make preparations for our departure 
from this somewhat inhospitable shore; for as to a vessel 
touching there to take us off, that event was not likely to 
occur. I found that my companions had commenced build- 
ing a boat, but as they did not understand carpentering as 
I did, it Avas fortunate for them that I arrived in time to 
lend them a hand, or they Avould infallibly have gone to the 
bottom as soon . as they had ventured out on the foaming 
waves of the Polar Sea. June was advancing, and the ice 
began to move perceptibly at a distance from the shore; 
and as the icebergs knocked and fell against each other, the 
crash Avas truly awful. I can only liken it to Avhat Ave 
might suppose produced by a set of monster nine-pins tum- 
bled about by a party of gigaiitic Dutchmen. I must re- 
late one more event, Avhich served to convince my com- 
panions of the perfect correctness of my statements. One 
night, as I was retiring to rest, I heard footsteps approaching 
our hut, and, looking out, saAv an immense white bear, 
sniffing up the air as if he smelled something he fancied foi* 
supper. Eousing my companions, Avho had already turned 
in, I seized my gun, Avith the intention of knocking him on 
the head, when, as he turned his face, I recognized an ex- 
pression I had met before. On his nearer approach 1 saw 
that he had but one eye, and t felt convinced that he Avas 
the identical bear that J h{id knocked over close to the pole 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


123 


and left for dead, with a steak out of his rump. He made 
toward me, grinding his teeth and flashing his one eye ter- 
rifically, with thoughts of vengeance; but I retreated back- 
ward, and had just time to slam the door in his face, jam- 
ming in one of his paws, before he could grasp me in his 
deadly embrace. Thus he was caught in a trap, but his 
struggles to free himself were so tremendous that I thought 
he would have carried away the whole hut with him; but 
my friends coming to my aid, we made fast a strong rope 
round the lower joint of his paw, and secured it to a 
stoiflb piece of timber which formed part of the .founda- 
tion of the structure. We then opened the door a little, 
when he, of course, put in the other paw, which we se- 
cured in the same way, and thus had him fast. At first 
he was very furious and growded tremendously, but by giv- 
ing him a piece of roasted meat to suck at the end of a 
ramrod, we tamed him by degrees, and he must have seen 
' that we had no evil intentions toward him. By slacking 
the ropes we were in a short time able to shut the door, 
keeping him outside. We then went to sleep, and he only 
' now and then disturbed us by an angry growl as he felt the 
ropes cutting his wrists. 

^^By a judicious system of starvation, and by gently ad- 
■ ministering food, we so tamed him that we were able to 
examine him for a further verification of my suspicions. 
Had my companions before entertained any doubts as to 
i the truth of my story, all such vanished when they discov- 
ered that, though the wound had perfectly closed where I 
' had cut out the steak, the cicatrice was there, and skin 
perfectly denuded of hair. By our pursuing the system I 
have described for some time. Bruin became so tame that 
he would follow us about like a dog, while he exhibited his 
affection by every possible means. I sjiall never forget the 
grief he exhibited when he saw us working away at our 
boat, and making preparations for our departure. Tears 
fell from his eyes and trickled down his shaggy breast, his 
bosom heaved with sighs, and he hung his paws as he stood 
before us, watching oui- proceedings in the most sentimental 
manner. 

'‘^When at length all was ready to make sail, we had to 
secure him as we had before done, to the beam in our hut, 
lest he should scramble into our boat and insist on accom- 
jianying us. We knew that with his usual sagacity he 


124 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


could very easily release himself after we were gone. We 
then hurried .011 board, shoved off, and stood out to sea. 
We soon found that we had numberless dangers to encoun- 
ter. Sometimes huge whales rose up and nearly capsized us, 
and there was always a terrible risk of running foul of- ice- 
bergs. One day, indeed, there was a thick fog, and we 
ivere standing on with a fair breeze, when the boiv of the 
boat came with such a terrific impetus against one that she 
slid right up it for thirty feet at least, and did not stop till 
she sunk into a deep hollow, from which it seemed impos- 
sible to extricate her. There we were, like three young 
birds in a nest, floating about at the mercy of the winds 
and waves. My companions were in despair, but I cheered 
their spirits by assuring them that all would come right at 
last, as I knew it would, though, as it turned out, not in 
the way I expected. 

Leaving my companions to cut a channel in the ice to 
launch our boat, I ascended to the higher part of the berg 
to look out for a sail, hoping that some whaler might be in 
the neighborhood. While there I heard a cry of despair, 
and to my dismay I beheld our boat rapidly gliding down 
the iceberg. She reached the water in safety, and with 
canvas set, which it was, I own, lubberly to have allowed, 
she sailed off before the wind, leaving us on our treacher- 
ous island. 

Fortunately my companions had taken the fish-hooks 
and other things out of the boat to lighten her, or we might 
have perished; but we managed with the hooks to catch an 
abundance of fish to supply our wants. We had to eat it 
raw, but that was nothing. Why, once upon a time, I paid 
a visit to one of the South Sea Islands, where the king, 
queen, and all the court devour live fish; and, what is 
more, they are taught, when brought up to table, to jump 
down the throats of their majesties of their own accord, so 
as to give them as little trouble as possible. It is one of 
the strongest marks of devotion with which I ever met. 

When my companions saw the boat sailing away, they 
were in despair, and I had great difficulty in preventing 
them from throwing themselves into the sea, and in restor- 
ing their spirits. Certainl}^ an iceberg is not the pleasant- 
est spot for a location. At length, one day, I saw some- 
thing like a ship^s long-boat in the distance. It approached 
the iceberg in the most mysterious manner. W e watched 


THE MIDSHIPMAK. 


125 


it eiigerly. It was not a boat, after all, but a log of timber, 
and — you need not believe it if you\I rather, not, but it"s a 
fact — there was our pet bear Bruin towing the timber at 
the rate of six knots an hour. I hurried down to the bot- 
tom of the berg to receive him. Poor fellow! he was so 
tired with his exertions that he could scarcely climb out of 
the water, and when, to exhibit his aifection> he attempted 
to embrace us, he fell forward on all fours, and very nearly 
rolled over into the sea again. As we sat by his side, all he 
liad strength to do was to lick our hands and moan mourn- 
fully. Talk of the affection of a dog! I should think tliat 
was as strong a mark of affection and sagacity as any dog 
could give. Let others beat it if they can. Having loosed 
Bruin from the ropes and secured the log of timber, which 
was the one, it must be understood, to which we had se- 
cured him in the hut, and which he had dragged out with 
main force, we set to work to catch him a dinner of fish. 
'This was the least we could do, and we were so fortunate 
in our sport that we were able to give him an abundant 
meal. He enjoyed it very much, and quickly revived. To 
show his gratitude he soon began to play off his usual ex- 
traordinary antics for our amusement, such as dancing a 
jig, standing on his head, or rolling himself up into a ball. 
Suddenly it struck me that he had brought the log of tim- 
ber to enable us to escape from our perilous situation. I 
consulted with my companions, and they agreed with me 
that if we harnessed Bruin to the log he would undoubtedly 
tow us to a place of safety. We made signs to him, and he 
evidently understood our purpose, for he allowed the ropes 
to be thrown over his shoulders and secured to the log of 
timber; and when we had placed our stores on it and taken 
our seats, he slipped gently into the water, and, I holding 
the reins, off he bravely swam with his snout to the south- 
ward. It was far from agreeable work, for our feet were 
wet, and we were obliged to sit perfectly quiet; but still it 
was better than remaining on the iceberg, and we contrived 
to pass our time tolerably well with smoking, eating, and 
catching fish. The seas in those latitudes abound in fish, 
so tliat we were able to feed poor Bruin abundantly on 
them, or he would never have performed the hard work 
lie had got through. 

At last a sail hove in sight, toward which I guided 
Bruin. I believe otherwise he would have carried us safely 


126 


THE MIDSHIP3IA]Sr. 


to some southern coast, toward which he was steering. 
When the people in the vessel first saw us, they would not’ 
believe that we were human beings, though, after we had 
hailed pretty lustily in English, they hove their craft to, 
and told us to come on board. 

Accordingly, securing the timber astern, we three 
climbed up the side, followed by Bruin, and were not a 
little amused by hearing the mate tell the captain, who was 
ill in his cabin, that there were four men just picked uj). 
He had taken the bear for a human being — there was so 
little difference in appearance betw^een any of us. Ha, ha, 
ha! It was some time, too, before the mistake was discov- 
ered. The mate was disappointed, for they were short- 
handed, and he fancied Bruin would prove a fine heavy- 
sterned fellow for pulling and hauling. So he did when I 
taught him and he would fist the end of a rope, and run 
the topsails up the masts with as much ease as half a dozen 
of the crew could together. The vessel was the ^ Highland 
Lass,^ bound from Halifax to Greenock, where we arrived 
in three weeks in perfect healtli and spirits. One of my 
companions, James Hoxton, took care of honest Bruin, 
who, not being accustomed to a civilized country, would 
have been rather adrift by himself, and would scarcely have 
been treated as a distinguished foreigner. Hoxton carried 
him about the country as a sight, and used to give an ac- 
count of our adventures, which very niuch astonished all 
the people who heard them. Bruin liked the amusement, 
for he was fond of traveling; but I waS very sorry to part 
with him, for he had become the most amiable and civilized 
of bears, though on our first introduction to each other, I 
should not have supposed that such would ever have been 
the case.” 

Is that all, every bit of it true, Mr. Johnson?” asked 
Spellman, with mouth agape. 

Did you ever see a polar bear, Mr. Spellman?” de- 
manded the boatswain in an offended tone. 

Yes,” answered Spellman, once at a show.” 

^^Then let me ask, young gentleman, why you should 
have any doubts as to the truth of my narrative?” said Mr. 
Johnson, drawing himself iij) and casting an indignant 
glance at the midshipman. 

Let me tell you that a thousand things have occurred 
to me, a hundred thousand times more wonderful than that, 


THE MIDSHIPMAK. 


127 


during every part of my life; and some day, if you catch 
me in the humor for talking, perhaps I will tell you about 
them. I\e only time just now to tell you of another 
somewhat strange adventure which befell me. 

^^Not finding a ship atGlas'gow to suit my fancy, I went 
to Liverpool, where I shipped on board a South Sea whaler, 
called the ^Diddleus.^ She was a fine craft, measuring 
full six hundred tons. I won^t tell you just now some of 
the curious events which occurred before we reached the 
South Seas. Our success was not very satisfactory. We 
met with various accidents, and among others we lost our 
first mate, who was killed b*y a blow from a white whale’s 
tail in a flurry, and as the captain had the discernment to 
perceive that there was not a man on board equal to me, 
he appointed me to the vacant berth. I little thought how 
soon I should get a step higher. The captain, poor fellow, 
was enormously fat, and as he was one day looking into the 
copper to watch how the blubber was boiling, his foot slip- 
ped on the greasy deck, and in he fell head foremost. No 
one missed him at the moment, and he was stirred up and 
turned into oil before any one knew what happened. 

The accident indeed was only discovered by our finding 
his buttons, and the nails of his shoes at the bottom of the 
copper. In consequence of this sad catastrophe I became 
master of the good ship ^ Diddleus.^ Either through my 
judgment, or good luck, it does not become me to say 
which, we very soon began to fill our casks at a rapid rate. 

We had, of course, always our boats ready to go in 
chase of a fish at a moment’s notice. One day two of them 
were away, and had killed, dead to windward of us, a lai-ge 
whale, toward which I was endeavoring to beat up, when 
the lookout man from the crow’s-nest, a sharp-sighted fel- 
low, Jerry Wilkins by name, hailed the deck to say that 
there was land in sight on our lee bow. 1 knew very well 
that there Avasn’t, and couldn’t be, but when I went aloft 
and looked out myself, I was dumfounded, for there I 
saw a dark long island, with what I took for a number of 
trees growing on it like Aveeping-willows. Presently the 
island began to grow larger and larger, and to extend all 
round the horizon to leeward. I immediately ordered the 
lead to be hove, expecting to find that some current or 
other had been sweeping us toward some unknown island 
not down in' the charts, but to the.surprise of ail tbei-e was 


128 


THE MIDSHIPMAN". 


no bottom. I now cracked on all sail I could set, to beat 
out of the bay, as it seemed to be, but the wind was so light 
that we made but little May, and as I looked out I saw the 
line gradually encircling us more and more, so that I must 
own I was altogether puzzled to know what it was. 

The whale and the boats were now about a mile off 
when suddenly the island seemed to rise close to them, 
forming a considerable elevation. While we were watching 
what next would happen, the boats cast off their tow lines, 
and pulled like mad toward us. They had good reason to 
pull hard, I can assure you, for one end of what we took to 
be the island rose right out of the water, fully fifty feet at 
least, cind quickly approaching the whale, the mighty fish 
disappeared under it, and immediately the elevation sunk, 
to its former level. Directly after this, one of the crew 
said he saw a large fire at the end of the island, but when I 
took my glass, I ascertained that it was nothing more nor 
less than an immense eye. To give an idea of its size, I 
may state, with due care not to exaggerate, that I saw fisli 
of file size of full-grown cod swimming about in the lower 
lid. A short examination convinced me that what I saw 
was the head of some mighty marine monster, nothing 
more nor less than the great sea-serpent, and that the ele- 
vation I had seen was his upper jaw. The crews of the 
boats confirmed the opinion when they came on board, for 
they stated that when they were close to what they believed 
was the end of a coral island, they saw it open slowly, while 
formidable rows of teeth, every one of the size of a heavy 
gun, and a tongue twice as large as a whale, appeared. 
When they saw this they thought it time to cut and run; 
nor could I blame them, for had they not;, they would have 
been swallowed with the whale. 

Some slight idea may be formed of the size.of the mon- 
ster from its having swallowed a white sperm whale whole, 
with half a dozen harpoons in her, and did not even blink 
its eyes. I confess I did not like the position we were in, for, 
as I had no doubt that it must possess a very considerable 
appetite, I thought it just possible that it might t&e it into 
its head to swallow us up also. To my great satisfaction, 
however, the monster remained stationary — probably 
it found the haiqjoons in the whalers back rather indigest- 
ible. 

J also considered that, without any vicious intention, 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


129 


should it take it iuto its head to be frisky, it might do us 
considerable damage. 

After consulting with my mates it was agreed that at 
all events we should, if possible, avoid the jaws of the mon- 
ster. We accordingly steered for the point where we be- 
lieved its tail was to be found, but after standing on for an 
hour or more we appeared to be no ne^frer it than we were 
when we were within a mile of its head. Not only was this 
the case, but there could be but little doubt that it was curl- 
ing its tail round, so as to completely encircle us. 

“ You, I dare say, have all heard of the dreadful passage 
between Sicily and the coast of Italy. On one side there 
are some frightful rocks, over which the sea roars like 
thunder. They are called the rocks of Scylla, and if a ship 
gets on them she is dashed to pieces in a quarter less than 
no time. On the other side is the awful whirlpool of Cha- 
rybdis, which draws ships from miles toward it, and sucks 
them under the water like straws; so Fve heard say, but as 
INe not seen it done, I canT vouch for the truth of the 
stoiy. If you keep on one side youYe a chance of being 
cast away on the rocks, if on the other, of being sucked 
down by the whirlpool. We were now much in the same 
condition. If we stood on too long on one tack, we ran a 
risk of sailing down the serpen t^s mouth; if on the other, 
of getting an ugly slap with his tail — supposing that he 
had got a tail anywhere in the distance to slap us with. 

As I swept the horizon with my glass, his monstrous 
body appeared on every side of us, except dead to wind- 
ward, where there was a clear opening, toward which point 
we were doing our best to beat up. Even that small space 
appeared to be narrowing. I watched it with no little 
anxiety — so did the mate, and so did Jerry Wilkins. Jerry 
was the first to discover that the serpent had a tail. 

^ r see it — I see it,^ sung out Jerry. ^ For all the world 
like the Falls of Niagara dancing a hornpipe.^ 

It was a fact. There was no doubt of that; and what 
did the monster do but finish by clapping his fail into his 
mouth, and then he lay just like a big cod-fish on a fish- 
monger’s stall. It Was a fashion we concluded he had 
when he wished to bask in the sun, but a very inconvenient 
one to us just then. 

We were, indeed, in a pretty fix, for we could not tell 
how long he might take to sleep; judging by his size, a 


130 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


year or so would have sufficed merely for a morning'’s nap, 
and we might all be starved before we could hope to get 
free. We were in a complete lake, do ye see, and the ‘ Did- 
dleus ’ was like a child's toy floating in the middle of it. It 
made us feel very small, 1 can assure you. I considered 
that the best tlihig we could do, under the circumstances, 
would be to he^ to near his head, so that, should he in 
his sleep let his tail slip, from between his teeth, we might 
have time to beat round his jaws. 

When, however, we got near his head, the crew were 
so frightened with its terrific appearance, that I saw that 
there would be a regular mutiny, or that in their terror 
they would all be jumping overboard, if I did not bear up 
again pretty quickly. 

We had an old fellow on board, Joe Hobson by name, 
who was considered an oracle by the crew, and he ^ded to 
their fears by telling them that he had often heard of these 
big sea-serpents before, and that, as they usually slept a 
dozen years or so on a stretch, we should be certainly starved 
before we could get out. I had, however, no fear about 
starving, because I knew we could catch fish enough for 
our support, and I had a plan by which I hoped, if he did 
sleep on, we might escape. To occupy the time I ran down 
alongside the head and shoulders, and then beat up again 
round by the tail end, and this survey, though we had a 
strong breeze, occupied fully three days. . 

I now resolved to put into execution my plan, which 
was simply to cut a channel for the ship right through the 
serpent's back. I considered that one deep enough to float 
the ship would be like a mere scratch on the skin to him, 
and would not wake him. I took, however, a precaution 
few would have thought of. The surgeon had a cask of 
laudanum, so, lowering it into a boat, with a few brave 
fellows as volunteers, we pulled right ' up to the serpent's 
mouth. I had a line fast to the bung. Watching our op- 
portunity, when the serpent lifted his jaws a little, we let 
the cask float into his mouth. I then pulled the line — the 
bung came out, and the laudanum, of course, ran down his 
throat. 

Now, I do not mean to say that under ordinary cir- 
cumstances that quantity could have had any eflect on so 
large a beast, for there was only a hogshead of it; but the 
doctor observed he placed some hopes of the opiate work- 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. *131 

ing from the creature being totally unaccustomed to such a 
dose. 

I had reason to think that it took immediate effect, for 
before an hour had elapsed, he snored so loudly that we 
could scarcely hear ourselves speak, though we were fully 
a mile distant from his head. I now made sail for the mid- 
dle of his body, where I judged that there would be more 
fat and less sense of feeling. It took us a day to reach the 
spot; then heaving the ship to, we lowered the boats to land 
on the serpent^s back. It was, I assure you, nervous work 
at first, and we had no little difficulty in climbing up his 
sides, which were uncommonly slippery; but we succeeded 
at last, and forthwith set to work with knives and saws to 
cut into his back. At first we made but little progress, in 
consequence of the barnacles, which covered his skin to the 
depth of some feet, but w'hen we got fairly through the skin 
we found to our great joy that there was as good blubber 
as w^e had ever cut out of a fat whale. We, therefore, made 
up our fires, and as we cut out the flesh we sent ifc on board 
fco be boiled. So hard did we work, that in ten days we had 
cut a channel deep enough to admit the ship, and had be- 
sides got a full cargo of the finest oil that had ever been 
seen. 

We accordingly hoisted in the boat, made all sail, and 
ran smack on to the very center of the serpent’s back. We 
had, however, not got quite over when, our keel tickling 
him, I suppose, he awoke partially, and letting his tail slip 
out of his mouth, off he went into a northerly direction, at 
the rate of forty knots an hour, with the good ship ^ Ilid- 
dleus ^ on his back. 

We quickly clewed up the sails, or our masts would to 
a certainty have gone over the side. On he went in this 
way for three days, when the opium again making him 
drowsy, he put his tail into his mouth, as a little child does 
its thumb, and once more went off to sleep. The move- 
ment caused the ship to glide off into the sea, outside the 
circle, and there being a strong southerly wind, you may be 
sure we lost no time in making all sail to get clear of so 
awkward a customer. The people set up a shout of joy 
when they saw him like a large island beating far astern of 
the ship. I ordered them to be silent lest they should 
wake him up, and told them not to be too sure that we were 
yet altogether clear of him. As it turned out, I was right. 


132 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


For two days we sailed on without anything unusual 
happening, and the crew had begun to recover their usual 
spirits, when, just as it had gone two bells in the middle, 
watch, the first mate called me up, in great alarm, to say 
that there were two glaring lights right astern of us, coming 
up fast with the ship. A strong hot wind, and an almost 
overpowering smell of sulphur convinced me of the dread- 
ful truth; — w^e were pursued by the big sea-serpent. I saw 
that there was nothing to be done but to run for it, so we 
made all sail, studding-sails alow and aloft, and as the 
' Diddleus ' was a good one to go, away we bowled with the 
monster in hot chase after us. And now, young gentlemen, 
as my watch is up, and Mr. Fitzgerald will be on deck 
presently to relieve me, I must bring my tale of the big sea- 
serpent to an end for the present. What happened next 
111 tell you another night; I think you’ll agree that there 
are not many men afloat who have seen stranger sights than 
I have; and yet I don’t say, mind you, that the one I have 
just told you about is the strangest by very far — ha! ha! ha! 
I should think not. ” 

When the watch was relieved, we all turned in, and, 
though I went to sleep quickly enough, I must own that I 
was all night long dreaming that I was on board the Did- 
dleus,” chased by the big sea-serpent. The next day I got 
leave to go on shore to pay my respects to the governor’s 
family. I had never been made so much of as I was by those 
Dutch ladies, even during my last visit home, and Miss Essa 
and I became more and more intimate. I thought her, in- 
deed, the most charming young lady I had ever seen, and I 
do not know how affairs would have ended, had I not had 
cause to suspect that, though she treated me with very 
sisterly regard, she still looked upon me only as a young 
midshipman, and a mere boy. At first I was very indig- 
nant, and thought her very ungrateful; but when I told my 
griefs to Gray, he laughed, and assured me that when I 
went home I should consider my own sisters very far supe- 
rior. I must own he was right. 

We lield the whole Island of Ciirac;oa in subjection for 
six months without any re-enforcements, and at length 
were relieved by the arrival of troops from .Jamaica. We 
sailed shortly after for that island. Having refitted at 
Port Koyal, we were once more at sea on the lookout for 
enemies. 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


133 


I had read and heard of so many gallant things being 
done,, that I became very anxious also to do something to 
distinguish myself. I talked the matter over with Gray. 
He had the same feeling, and we agreed that we would 
seize the first opportunity of doing something, though 
what we would do would depend upon circumstances. 
Week after week passed away, and the opportunity we 
looked for did not occur. At last, one day, when close 
in with one of the numerous small islands of those seas, 
Mr. Bryan called me up, and ordered me to take command 
of the second cutter, with six seaman and a couple of 
marines, and to go on shore to collect sand for the use of 
the ship. I asked if Gray might accompany me. 

To keep each other out of mischief, I suppose,” he ob- 
served. Yes, he may go, but remember there^s an order 
against taking arms with you. It is feared that you young- 
sters will be running your head into danger if you have 
the means of fighting. 

There was nothing very romantic or interesting in pros- 
pect for us, but still it was something to get away from the 
ship, and to feel that, in a certain sense, we were to be our 
own masters for a few hours. Billy Wise, the captain ^s 
steward, was also sent in the boat. I have not mentioned 
Billy for some time. He had not, however, improved in 
sense since he came to sea this time, but was continually 
committing some extraordinary blunder or other. Toby 
Bluff also accompanied us. The boat was manned and 
ready to shove off, but Gray had not appeared, so I ran up 
the side to call him, leaving Billy in charge. I was not 
gone a minute, for Gray, who was waiting for a basket to 
collect shells, ^t once Joined me. The wind was light, and 
while the frigate, under easy sail, stood off shore, we pulled 
toward it. 

■ We had not got far from the ship, when a piece of sail- 
cloth being kicked aside, I saw under it several Shipp’s mus- 
kets. I counted five of them. I found also that there 
was a supply of ammunition and a half dozen cutlasses. 
How tliey came there was a mystery. No one knew, at 
least no One would tell. Billy Wise said that all sorts of 
things liad been handed into the boat, and that the men 
had told him that they were spades to dig sand. Gray and 
1 agreed that, though we could not have ventured to diso- 
bey orders and take arms, since the muskets were there, if 


134 THE MIDSHIPMAK. 

we should meet with an enemy, it would of course be our 
duty to use them. The chances, however, of our falling in 
with one seemed very remote. 

The heat was considerable, but not quite so hot as Mr. 
Johnson had declared we should find it. We had a long 
pull, however, and as the men were somewhat exhausted, 
I allowed them to take some rest and refreshment before 
they began to load the boat. Of course it was not the sand 
close down to the sea which was required, but that which, 
being constantly exposed to the effects of the sun and wind, 
hlad become fine and white. The operation of carrying it 
to the boat therefore took some time. Gray and I had 
brought some cold beef and biscuit and rum and water, 
and so we sat ourselves down in the shade of a clump of 
palm-trees to discuss our provisions, and try and get cool. 
Some of the men then asked leave to bathe, and I told them 
that they might do so, warning them to beware of sharks 
and not to get out of their depth. 

They had been frolicking about for some time, while 
Billy Wise was sitting down at some little distance off watch- 
ing them. Suddenly the thought seized him that he too 
would have a bathe, but he fancied some rocks further away 
which might serve as a dressing-room. The other men now 
began to go on with the duty we had come on. Toby Bluff, 
meantime, was strolling along the shore looking for shells 
for Gray and me. Suddenly we heard him shouting — 

^^Help! help! There ^s Billy Wise drowning. Some 
beast has got hold of him !” 

We rushed to the spot where poor Billy had last been 
seen. There was a considerable commotion in the water. 
Now a leg, now an arm appearing. We ran on. Two of 
the men who had accompanied us dashed into the sea, as 
we also did, and we all made our way up to the spot just 
as poor Billy had disappeared under the water. We could 
see his limbs, however, and, seizing hold of him, we* all 
dragged away and brought him to the surface. The cause 
of his disappearance was explained. Round his right leg 
and arm, and indeed his neck, were twined the long ten- 
taculae or arms of what T fancy was a huge squid, '^fio 
('lear him of the horrible mass seemed impossible. Indeed 
it appeared as if the poor fellow was already dead. We 
shouted for the rest of the men, and witli their assistance 
we dragged Billy and the creature into shallow water. 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


135 


Tlie monster would not let go^ and we all set to'work with 
our knives to cut it away arm by arm, and feeler by feeler. 
Till this Avas done, there was evidently no chancfe of our 
being able to restore animation. As it was, there seemed 
to be very little prospect of reviving the poor fellow. At 
length, however, we got him clear of the horrible, mass, 
Avhich dropped into the sea, and none of us were inclined 
to stop and examine it. I never have been quite obtain 
what it really was. The sand was hot enough to hatch a ' 
turtle ^s egg, so we laid Billy down on it and set to work to 
rub him all over his body. After a time an eyelid - . 

and then his limbs began to twitch, and that encouraged 
us to rub harder and harder, till at length, to my infinite 
relief, he breathed, and getting rid of some of the salt water 
he had swallowed, he sat up and stared round him, ex- 
claiming, Hallo, mates, have you caught the big fish? I 
thought as how I’d a gripe of him myself. ” Billy never 
heard the end of his big fish. When he attempted to put 
on his clothes, he complained that he was stung all over, 
and so the men carried him just as he Avas to the boat. 
They had, hoAvever, no little difficulty^n keeping him 
there, for when his hitherto impeded circulation was com- 
pletely restored, the stinging sensation increased, and made 
him feel that only a plunge in the sea would cure him. 
This event had delayed us considerably. We ought to have 
taken our departure from the island even before Billy had 
begun to bathe, and so, Avhen I looked at my Avatch, I 
found that we Avere tAvo hours at least behind our time. 
At last we shoved off, but Ai^here the frigate was Ave could 
not tell. Gray thought that she must have drifted round 
to the other side of the island. We had been directed to 
keep a lookout for her, but had neglected to do so. Then 
it became a question to Avhich side she had drifted. . To 
ascertain, Ave lay on our oars, and found a current running 
to the east, and so decided that she must have gone in that 
direction. We now pulled merrily along, sure of soon fall- 
ing in with her. Billy Wise was the only unhappy one of 
the party. He could not tell what was going to happen to 
him, till the men told him he must have fallen into a hedge 
of sea-nettles, and that he Avould soon get Avell again. This 
comforted him considerably, and so he consented to put on 
his clothes and sit quiet. 

It Avas now groAving dusk, when, as we rounded a point. 


13G 


THE MIDSHTPMAK. 


Gray exclaimed that he saw a sail ahead. I jumped upon 
the seat, and made out that she was a schooner standing oil' 
the land. 

She hasn^t much wind/^ Gray remarked. 

^^We might overhaul her/'’ said I. 

“We ought to do so/^ remarked Gray; “ she may be an 
enemy. 

^‘^WeVe got arms, sir,^^ said one of the men. 

“ And ammunition,'’^ added another. 

“ Many a rich prize lias been taken by • a boat ^s crew /^ 
observed the cockswain, the oldest man in the boat. 

“ Well, Gray, suppose we just pull up to her and ascer- 
tain what she is,” said I. 

“With all my heart,” he answered; “it^s a pity, now 
we^ve got the muskets and ammunition, if have the 
chance, that we should not make use of them.” 

I fully agreed with him. My only fear was, that the 
schooner might, after all, not prove an enemy. The wind 
was dropping gradually — there was little doubt that we 
should get up to her. 

“ I suppose that the captain won'^t mind much if she is 
an enemy, and we attack her,” continued Gra 5 ^ “He'^ll 
suspect, though, that we disobeyed orders, and had arms in 
the boat.” 

“ Not if we take her,” T answered. “ He'^ll not ask 
questions. If we fail, we shall get into a terrible row — we 
may count on that; but we must take her, and it ivill stick 
a feather in our caps, and put some dollars in our pockets, 
too.” 

We were pulling steadily on all this time. We got the 
muskets up, and ascertained that they were dry, and, load- 
ing them, placed them on the thwarts ready for use. The 
schooner held her course. There was just wind enough to 
fill her sails, and no more. 1 felt convinced that she was 
French. T asked the Cockswain, Ned Dawlish, his opinion. 
He agreed with me, and thought that she was !i privateei*. 

“If so, she must be armed,” said 1. “ We will keep in 

her wake, and, as in a short time she will not have steerage- 
way, she will be unable to bring her guns to bear on us.” 

The men were all highly delighted with our proposal. 
They must have anticipated some such chance when they 
smuggled the arms into the boat. 

Ned Dawlish t(jok another look at the chase. 


THE MIDSHIPMAK. 137 

She^s a French craft, and a privateer, 111 bet any 
money, he exclaimed, sitting down again to his oar. 

The crew now gave way with a will. The sooner we 
were up to her the better, because, of course, we knew 
that we must by this time be seen, and our intentions sus- 
pected. 

She carries three, or may be four guns on a side,” ob- 
served Ned, looking over his shoulder. But that^s no 
odds, they can! reach us. ” 

His eagerness and courage animated the rest of the crew. 
How many men the chase carried we could not tell; indeed, 
we did not consider. Not one of us entertained a doubt 
that we should take her. Our proposed plan of proceeding 
was very simple. AVe were to pull up alongside, jump on 
board, and, cutlass in hand, drive the enemy down the 
hatches, or into they sea, if they would not yield. 

There was still some light left, and as we drew near it ap- 
peared to me that the decks were somewhat crowded. I 
asked Gray what he thought. He agreed with me. Still 
it was too late to retreat. We had not got much further 
when bright flashes of flame burst from the stern, and, 
what we little expected, a shower of bullets rattled about 
us. 

‘^Give way, lads, give way!” shouted Ned Hawlish. 

Wefll lick the Johnny Crapeaus in spite of that.” 

The boat dashed on. hoped to get alongside before 
another volley was fired. In vain. Again a leaden shower 
rattled round our heads. Once more Ned Dawlish shouted 
loudly. There was a deep groan, and he fell, with his face 
bent down, to the bottom of the boat. Gray seized his oar, 
and took his place. He had been shot in the back. Speed 
was everything to us now. There must be a considerable 
number of small-arm men on board, I saw; but even then 
it never occurred to me that we ought to turn tail. 

On we went. Still the enemy kept up a fire at us. Toby 
Bluff gave a sharp cry. A bullet had hit him, but he an- 
swered me when I spoke, and kept his seat. We had the 
muskets ready. I let go the tiller and seized one. Gray and 
Billy AVise and two other men did the same, and let fly 
among the enemy. 

In another instant we were under the schooner's quarter. 
The bowman hooked on. AVithout asking leave, up we 
scrambled, and, cutlass in hand, in spite of boarding-pikes 


138 


THE MIDSHTPMAN^. 


thrust at us, and pistols flashed in our faces, began to lay 
heartily about us among the very much astonished French- 
men. 


CHAPTER IX. 

If the Frenchmen were very much astonished at finding 
us among them, we were not the less so on discovering the 
number of our opponents. Besides the crew, we found our- 
selves engaged with thirty or forty soldiers; but had there 
been more, it would have been "the better for us, for so 
crowded were the schooner^s decks, that they impeded each 
other^s movements. By the suddenness of our rush, we 
had gained the after part of the vessel, and had killed or 
wounded half a dozen of the enemy before they knew ex- 
actly what to do. The bodies of these men served as a solt 
of rampart, while the bowman of our boat, having secured 
her, climbed up the side lo our support, thus allowing us a 
few seconds to look about. In the center of a group of 
vociferating gesticulating, grimace-looking Frenchmen, 
some armed with muskets, others with swords and cutlasses, 
and others pistols and boarding-pikes, stood a tall, gaunt, 
soldier officer, eying us very sternly, and tugging hard to 
get a sword out of a long scabbard, while he kept scream- 
ing to his men, as I understand, to annihilate the dogs of 
Englishmen, and to kick them into the sea. But though 
he kept shouting louder and louder, till his cries resembled ‘ 
the rabid howls of a wild beast, his soldiers found that 
though it might be easy to order them to kick five stout 
British seamen overboard, and two rather precocious mid- 
shipmen, it was not quite as easy for them to obey. I saw, 
too, that our only chance of success was to push on without 
further delay. Had Mr. Johnson been with us, I should 
have felt less doubt as to the result of our exploit. 

""On, my ladsT^ I shouted, ""we must drive these 
Frenchmen off the deck.” 

Gray echoed my words, as did another faint voice, and 
I found that Toby Bluff, in spite of his wound, had climb- 
ed on board the schooner, and was ready to do battle by 
my side. On we all pushed. A sturdy French seaman, 
on my left, raised his cutlass, while I was engaged with an- 
other on my right. I could just see out of the corner of 
my left eye, his weapon descending, and fully believed that 


THE MIDSHIPMAH^. 


139 


my last moment had come, for it was impossible to ward 
it off. Before, however, the cutlass reached my head, there 
was the report of a pistol close to my ear, and my enemy 
tumbled over dead on the deck. Toby had saved my life, 
just as I had before saved the boatswain^s. We continued 
cutting and slasliing away so furiously, that the French- 
men no longer attempted to contend against us. Jumping 
aside like a troop of monkeys, as we got among them, they 
tumbled over each other down the hatchways, the old officer 
with them; whether he went of his own accord, or could 
not help it, I was unable to tell. All I know is, that he 
disappeared with most of his army, the remainder of whom 
lay. sprawling on deck or clinging to the bowsprit, while 
some of the crew had run up the rigging, and others had 
tumbled into the hold with the soldiers. Over these latter 
we took thei liberty of clapping the hatches, while Billy 
Wise did the wisest thing he had b§#n guilty of for a long 
time; he pointed his musket at tho tnen aloft, and intimat- 
ed that he would shoot the first who attempted to descend. 
tSome of them had pistols, but they had fortunately already 
fired tliem at us, and they were afraid of throwing them at 
our heads, lest Billy should put his threat into execution. 
His adventure with the sea monster had evidently roused 
his wits, for he had besides this done good service in board- 
ing, and several of the foe owed their fall to his sturdy arm. 
In less than five minutes from the time we sprung on 
board. Gray and I were shaking hands, as we stood on the 
hatch, with the Frenchmen below us. 

hope, though, that the Monsieurs wonT blow up the 
ship,^^ he observed; ^^they must begin to feel heartily 
ashamed of the way they have allowed us to take her from 
them. 

No fear of it; theyTe not the fellows for that,^'’ I an- 
swered, but it is just possible that they may attem]3t to 
take her back again, so we must keep a very bright look- 
out to prevent them. 

Gray agreed with me. 

I wish that I could talk to them, though, he re- 
marked : I donT suppose that one of our party knows a 
word of French. 

No; we must learn, however, on the first opportunity,"^ 
said I. H would be very convenient, and very likely use- 
ful. If the captain had not known it, we should probably 


140 


Tm MIDSHTPMAK. 


had been caught by the enemy’s tleet when we got among 
them.” 

The puzzle was now to settle how to manage with these 
pi’isoners. As we had only seven effectives, and they had 
more than forty, it was no slight task. Billy Wise, touch- 
ing his hat, suggested that we should shoot them, or send 
them overboard with round-shot at their heels, to swim 
ashore if they could; but as that mode of proce^ing was 
somewhat contrary to the customs of civilized warfare, we 
declined to adopt it, though undoubtedly it would have 
solved our difficulties. We ultimately agreed that our best 
plan would be to get hold of all those on deck, and to lash 
their hands behind them, and then to summon a few at a 
time of those below to be treated in the same way. We 
soon had all those above deck secured. It seemed extraor- 
dinary that men should submit in so abject a manner to a 
party of men and boys. They appeared, indeed, entirely 
to have lost their wits. It shows what boldness and audac- 
ity will accomplish. However, it might have been the 
other way, and we might have all have been knocked on the 
head, or tumbled down as prisoners into the Frenchman’s 
hold. Having accomplished this, we sent a hand to the 
helm, trimmed sails, though there was not much wind to 
fill them, and steered in the direction in which we hoped to 
fall in with the frigate. I must own that it was not till 
then that we thought of poor Ned Dawlish. We drew the 
boat alongside, and had him lifted on deck. We had some 
faint hopes, though he lay so still, he might be alive, but 
his glazed eyes and stiffened limbs too plainly told us that 
his last fight was over, and that we should hear his cheery 
voice and hearty laugh no more. We then turned our at- 
tention to Toby Bluff. He had shown himself a true hero, 
for, though his wound must have given him intense pain, 
he had not given utterance to a complaint or a single groan, 
but had endeavored to work away as if nothing was the 
matter with him. I had observed a good deal of blood 
about his dress, but it was not till I came to examine him 
that I found it had fiowed from his own veins, and that his 
shirt and trousers on one side were literally saturated. He 
was looking deadly pale, and would in a few seconds have 
fainted, had not Gray and I set to work to stanch the blood. 
We had not much experience as surgeons, but we succeeded 
after some time. » 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


141 


■ Thank ye, sir; tliank ye, said Toby, his voice growing 
weaker every moment; be up and at ^em again 

directly. I wants another pistol, please, sir. I donT know 
what tricks the Mounseers may be up to, and they sha^nT 
hurt you if 1 can help it, that they sha’nT. I shot one on 
"’em, and 111 shoot another. 

By this time his voice grew indistinct, and we began to 
be alarmed about him. We happily had some rum and 
water left. We poured it down his throat, and it evidently 
revived him. VVe then placed him under charge of the 
helmsman, and continued our other duties. 

Now, Merry, what^s to be done?” asked Gray, when he 
had got all who remained on deck in limbo. If those 
gentlemen down there find it^s hot, which I suspect tliey 
will very soon, they will begin to grow obstreperous, and 
try to force their way out. When men get desperate, they 
are somewhat difficult to manage. ” 

People can not live without air, I fancy, and they can 
not have much of it in the hold of this craft, which must 
naturally have a pretty strong smell of bilge-water,” I an- 
swered. We must get them up somehow or other, so 
that they donl overpower us. However, we may as well 
first get the dead men overboard; they are only in the way 
where they are. ” 

We should see to the wounded first,” remarked Gray, 
more thoughtful and humane than I was. If we could 
get below, I dare say that we should find spirits and wine, 
and other good things for them. ” 

The first man we came to had received the stroke of a 
British cutlass full on the top of his head, and did not re- 
quire our assistance, so he was pitched overboard. The 
next was the man shot dead by Toby, so his body was 
treated in the same way. A third still breathed, but was 
bleeding profusely from a deep wound in his shoulder 
and a shot through his side. His case seemed hopeless, but 
we bound up his hurts and placed him against the bul- 
warks, under the shade of the sail. Two more we came to 
were dead, and two badly wounded. When we had done 
what we could for them and placed them with their com- 
panions, we saw a fourth man, whom we supposed to be 
dead, right forward. When we lifted him up his limbs did 
not seem very stiff, nor could we see any wound about him. 
Billy Wise was assisting us. 


143 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


Why, sir, he exclaimed, the chap has got a big knife 
in his clutch, and those eyes of his ain't deiid men's eyes, 
but may be it will be just as well to pitch him overboard; 
he can't do no harm then, anyhow. " 

Billy was right, for as he spoke I saw the supposed dead 
man's eyes twinkle. Calling another of our people to our 
assistance, we snatched the knife out of the man's hand, 
and then lifting him up, we seemed as if about to heave 
him overboard. Indeed, Billy thought that was our object. 
The Frenchman, however, did not approve of this, and 
gave strong evidence that he was alive, by struggling 
violently, and uttering with extraordinary volubility a 
variety of expletives on the matter. When we had frighten- 
ed him a little we lashed his arms behind him, and placed 
him with the rest of the prisoners on deck. There could 
be little doubt that he had shammed dead, and kept a knife 
ready, with the hopes of releasing his companions while we 
were olf our guard, and retaking the vessel. For this we 
could not blame him, so we treated him with the same care 
as the other prisoners — only, perhaps, we kept rather a 
sharper watch over him, lest he might attempt to play us 
some other trick. 

There Avere some casks of water on the deck, so we 
served some of it out to ourselves and our prisoners on deck 
alike. Most of the Frenchmen looked as if thev ivere grate- 
ful, but the sulky countenances of some of tfiem did not 
alter. However, that made no difference in our behavior, 
as Gray and I agreed it must have been terribly annoying 
to their feelings to find themselves thus hopelessly pris- 
oners. 

We had done thus much when we heard thumping and 
shouts from below. This was what we expected, but we 
had hoped to have fallen in with the frigate before it be- 
came absolutely necessary to open the hatches. We looked 
round. From the deck she was nowhere to be seen, so charg- 
ing Gray and our men to watch the hatches— the compan- 
ion and fore hatch as well as the main — 1 went aloft to ob- 
tain a Avider circle, in the expectation that I might thus 
discover her. 

Not a sail was in sight. The low island with its groves 
of palm-trees lay to the northward, and the Avide expanse 
of the Caribbean Sea to the south. I scarcely knew Avhat 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 1*43 

to do. I sat at the mast-head to consider^ but was S2>eedilj^' 
aroused by a shout from Gray. 

In a second, as the Yankees say, like greased liglitning, 
I slid down the topmast backstay on deck. A Frenchman’s 
head ^vas protruding through the fore-hatchway, he having 
forced off the hatch, and Billy Wise, who had been sta- 
tioned there, was endeavoring to drive him back — not an 
easy task, as others below were shoving a boarding-pike at 
him for the purpose of compelling him to retreat. Billy, 
however, stood his ground, and was working away with his 
elbow to get at his cutlass, while ho kept his musket 
pointed at the man’s head. 

In the meantime others were thundering away at the 
main hatch, and, what was still more dangerous, a party 
had evidently cut their way aft, and were trying to force 
back the companion hatch. AVe knew, too, that they must 
have fire-arms, so that we were altogether placed in a very 
difficult position. The fore hatch must first be secured. I 
was running to help Billy, when I saw him whip out his cut- 
lass, and before I could stop him, it flashed in the sun, and 
the unfortunate Frenchman’s head rolled on the deck. 

There, you Johnny Crapeaus, if any of you likes it. 
I’ll do the same for you,” he shouted, flourishing his 
weapon. 

The body of the man fell below, stopping his companions 
from ascending, and though they might not have under- 
stood the words in which Billy’s liberal offer was made, 
they must have caught sight of the glittering cutlass sweep- 
ing over the hatchway, and hesitated about placing their 
necks within its influence. ■ i . 

I sprung forward. So excited was Billy that he did not 
see me, and very nearly treated me as he had threatened to 
do the Frenchmen— taking me for one of them. 

Lank, Master Merry, if I had a-done it,” he exclaimed, 
when he discovered his mistake. 

I did not sjieak, but popping on the hatch, secured it be- 
fore our captives could make a rush to get out. It was 
breathless work, it may be believed— indeed, I even to this 
day feel almost out of breath when I think of it. Leaving 
Billy at the post he had guarded so well, I ran back to the 
companion hatch, inside of which we could hear the men 
working away with most disagreeable vigor. 

^^Oh dear! oh dear!” exclaimed Gray over and over 


144 


THE MlDSHlPMAlSr. 


again. If we could but speak French, we could tell the 
men what we would do if they would behave themselves. 

But, as we can not, we must show them what we will do 
if they don%” I rejoined. We must get them on deck 
somehow or other, for if we keep them much longer below 
they will die, I am afraid. It is hot up here — it must be 
ten times worse in that close hold. ” 

ril tell you, then,^^ he answered. We must keep our 
loaded pistols in our hands, and get up one at a time 
through the companion hatchway. If more tlian one at- 
tempts to come, we must shoot him; there’s no help for it. 
It will be a long process, but I suppose those who come first 
will tell the others how we treat them, and they will be con- 
tent to wait. 

We must have some water then, for they will be terri- 
bly thirsty, said I. “And we must have a good supply 
of lashings ready to secure them. 

We accordingly unrove all the running rigging that could 
be spared, and cut it into lengths, and then leaving Billy 
Wise as sentry at his former post, we rolled two water- 
casks over the main hatch, adding a spare sail and spars, 
so that there was little danger of its being forced. We all 
then collected round the after hatch. We slipped back the 
hatch sufficiently far to allow of one man passing through 
at a time, then holding our pistols so that those below 
might see them, we beckoned to the Frenchmen to come 
up. At first, from having discovered probably the way 
that Billy AVise had treated their countryman, they were 
unwilling to take advantage of our invitation, which was 
not to be wondered at. 1 ordered the men to take care lest 
they might fire up at us, for I suspected some treachery. 

“Gome' along, Mounseers, come along; we won’t hurt 
ye,” said Ned Bambrick, the best man with us; indeed, 
there was not a better in the ship, though certain wild 
pranks in which he had indulged had prevented him from 
becoming a petty officer. “ Come along, now, we/11 treat 
ye as if ye was all sucking babies.” 

Though the Frenchmen did not understand the words 
addressed to them, the tone of his voice somewhat re- 
assured them, and at last one ventured up. We immedi- 
ately seized him by the arms, hauled him out, and shut to 
the hatch, greatly to the disappointment of those who were 
following. The Frenchman, who was a sailor, looked 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


145 


dreadfully frightened, and began to struggle violently, ex- 
pecting, probably, that we were going to throw him over- 
board. We had, however, his arms very soon lashed behind 
him, and we then gave him water, and pointed to his 
shipmates sitting quietly round the side. He was once more 
satisfied, and we then signed to him, as well as we could, 
that he was to tell his companions below that iio harm 
would happen to them. We concluded that he^did so, for 
after he had shouted down the hatchway, another cautiously 
lifted his head above the combing. He gave a cry as we 
seized hold of him, but we quickly had him up and treated 
like the other. In the same way we got up a dozen, the 
last showing clear signs of having suft'ered most. At length 
a nearly bald head appeared, with a silver plate covering 
part of it, on which I read the word Arcole,” and then 
the high, narrow forehead, gaunt cheeks, and thin body of 
the old colonel slowly emerged from the cabin. He looked 
round with a confused expression on his countenance, as if 
not very certain what had happened; but before he had had 
much time for consideration, Ned Bambrick politely took 
him by the hand, and helped him to step out on deck. 
When he found himself seized to be pinioned, he looked 
very, indignant, and struggled to get loose, but we had the 
ropes round his arms in a moment. As a compliment, 
however, we secured .him to the mainmast, with a heap 
of sail-cloth to sit on. He made so many extraordinary 
grimaces that even poor Toby, who was sitting opposite to 
him, in spite of his suft'ering, burst into a fit of laughter. 
Gray and I had, however, just then too much to do to 
laugh. There were still nearly twenty men below, enough 
to overpower us and to release their countrymen, so it was 
necessary to be as cautious as at first. From the horrible 
effluvium which came rushing up the hatchway each time 
the hatch was slid off, we might have known that the 
men who had to^exist in it long were not likely to be 
very difficult to manage. In those days midshipmen, at all 
events, knew nothing of hydrogen and oxygen, and that 
human beings could not exist without a certain supply of 
the latter. A few more climbed slowly up. We thought 
that they were shamming, and treated them like the rest. 
At last no more appeared. 

What can they be about?"" I asked of Gray. Then we 
heard some groans. 


146 


thp: midshipmak. 


Wliat shall we do?” said Gray. 

^"Idl tell you, sir, Idl go below and find out,” exclaimed 
Ned Banibrick. 

It was the only way of solving the difficulty. We put on 
the conij)anion, and lifted off the main hatch. We were 
nearly knocked down with the abominable odor which 
arose as we did so. Notwithstanding this, Ned sprung 
down into the hold, lie groped about for half a minute, 
whe’n he sung out, Send a whi]! down and get these fel- 
lows on deck, or they’ll be dead altogether. ” 

AVe lowered the end of a rope, and ran up the men one 
after another, as he made them fast to it. They were in a 
very exhausted condition; but the fresh air, though it was 
still very hot, and the water we poured down their throats, 
soon revived them, and we had to lash their arms behind 
them, as we had the others. During this time Billy AVise 
volunteered to go down and assist Ned. AVe had hoisted 
up ten or a dozen when they both declared that they could 
find no more, so we took all the hatches off to ventilate the 
vessel, not forgetting to throw overboard the corpse of the 
poor fellow whose head Billy’s cutlass had cut off. Billy 
wanted to keep the head as a trophy, but we did not ap- 
prove of that, and made him pitch it after the body. 

AVell, now I hope you’ll find each other, ’’^observed 
Billy, with perfect gravity, as he did ^o. 

It had certainly a very odd apjiearance to see our forty 
prisoners arranged rotind the vessel, with the colonel at the 
mainmast and the man we supposed to be the master at the 
foremast. AA"e had, however, to wait on them, and to. carry 
them water and food. Gray and I agreed that, though it 
was a very honorable thing to command a ship, we should 
be very glad to be relieved of the honor. Since we captured 
the vessel we had not had a moment to take any food. 
Hunger made us rather inclined to despond. A\^e, how- 
ever, found'^out what was the matter with us, and sent 
Billy AVfise down into the cabin to forage. He soon re- 
turned with some biscuit and white cheese, and dried plums 
and raisins, and a few bottles of claret, but there was no 
honest cold beef or rum. 

It’s no wonder we licked the Johnny Crapeaus when 
that’s the stuff they feeds on,” observed Ned Bambrick, 
turning over the food with a look of contempt. 

However, he and the rest stowed away no small amount 


THE 3ITT)SHIPMAH. 


147 


of the comestibles, notwithstanding his contempt for them. 
When, however, he came to the liquid, tossing olf the con- 
tents of a bottle, he made a wofully wry face, and ex- 
claimed: 

Billy, my boy, we must haye a full cask of this on 
deck— a chap must drink a bucket or two before he finds 
out he has taken anything. TtV vinegar and water to my 
mind. 

Gray and I took a few glasses of the wine. It did not 
taste so bad, especially in tliat hot weather; but he fancied 
that there was but little strength in it. As the men re- 
quired refreshment, we did not object to their taking as 
much as they fancied. Persuaded by Bambrick, Billy went 
below, and soon sung out that he had found a cask of the 
same stuff as that in the bottles. A whip was sent below. 
A cask was hoisted on deck, and found to contain what was 
undoubtedly claret When the old colonel saw it, he 
shrieked out something about Monsieur le Gouverneur.^^ 

‘'^Well, Mounzeer Governor, here's to your health, then,"” 
said Bambrick, draining off a mugful of the claret, which 
had been quickly tapped. This is better tipple than the 
other. Here, old boy, you shall have a glass, to see if we 
can't put a smile into that ugly mug of yours." 

The old soldier seemed not at all to object to the wine 
which Ned poured down his throat, and he smacked his lips 
as if he would like some more. Fortunately, Gray and 1 
now tasted the claret, and though we were no great judges 
of wine, we knew enough to ascertain that it was remarka- 
bly fine and strong; and, moreover, we discovered, by the 
way Ned and Billy and the rest began to talk, that they had 
had enough, if not too much of it already. 

It was unwise of us to let them have any at all," ob- 
served Gray. How we shall keep them from it I do not 
know; and if they get drunk as they certainly will if they 
.have much more, the chances are the Frenchmen will take 
the vessel from us. " 

We must knock the head in," I answered. It is our 
only security. I know from experience that if seamen can 
by any means get hold of liquor, they will do so at all risks, 
and that they are in no way particular what it is." 

It will be better to serve it out to the prisoners," said 
Gray. If we appeal to these men's kind feelings they 


148 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


will do it, and if tliere is more than enough we must leave 
the spile out. 

Bambrick and Billy, and the other men, were perfectly 
ready to do as we proposed. When the old colonel saw 
what we were doing he again shrieked out about the gov- 
ernor, but this did not prevent the men from serving out 
the wine. It only made Bambrick turn round and say: 

All right, Mr. Governor, you shall have some more, old 
boy."' 

He took care, at all events, that the old gentleman 
should have eiiough, for he gave him the greater portion of 
the contents of a jug. 

We waited till nearly all the men were served, and then 
Gray pulled out the spile, and a good deal ran out. He 
had to put it in before the men returned for their last sup- 
ply. Still, for fear that too much might remain, he kicked 
away the block of wood which kept it in its place, and then 
rolling over the cask, it was emptied of its remaining con- 
tents. I must do our fellows the justice to say that they 
treated the prisoners as they would like to have been treated 
themselves, and gave them as much wine as they would 
drink. The only difference was that they would have drunk 
live times as much as the Frenchmen, and not have been 
the worse for it. 

They were rather inclined to grumble when they found 
that there was no more. I saw that it was time to exert 
my authority. 

You've done very well, lads," I exclaimed. But sup- 
pose you were all to get drunk, what would the Frenchmen 
do with us, I should like to know. Shall I tell you? They 
would manage to wriggle themselves free, and heave us all 
overboard. If we don't want to disgrace ourselves, let us 
keep what we've got. Not another drop of liquor does any 
one have aboard here till we fall in with the frigate. " 

My speech appeared to have some effect, and I took care 
to give all hands ample employment, that they might not 
think of the liquor. As it was, by the springy way in which 
they moved about the deck, and the harangues uttered by 
Ned Bambrick on every trivial occasion, I saw that they 
had already had quite enough for our safety. Night was 
now approaching, but still the frigate Avas nowhere to be 
seen. Gray went aloft, and took an anxious look around. 

Not a sign of her," he said, as he returned on deck. 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


149 


Darkness came on. All hands were naturally feeling 
very sleepy, but with so many prisoners to guard, even 
though their hands were lashed behind them, it was neces- 
sary for us to keep awake. However, Gray and I agreed 
that — if we were rested and brisk we could do more than if 
we were worn out— it would be best for us to take a little 
sleep at intervals, and allow one or two of the men to sleep 
at the same time. One man was at the helm, and two 
others kept walking up and down the deck, with pistols in 
their hands and cutlasses ready for use. Gray lay down 
first. He slept so soundly that I did not like to call him. 
The night was dark, but the prisoners were quiet, and there 
was but little wind; even that little had died away. I did 
not altogether like the look of the weather. The heat was 
very great, and though it was calm then, I knew that it 
was not far off the hurricane season, and I thought if we 
were to be caught in a hurricane how greatly our difficulties 
would be increased, even if we were not lost altogether. 
After a time Gray started up of his own accord. The in- 
stant I lay down on the after part of the deck, I was asleep. 
It appeared to me that I had scarcely closed my eyes, when 
I was aroused by shouts and cries, I started up, fully per- 
suaded that the Frenchmen were loose and upon us. The 
sounds appeared to come from the hold. As I ran to the 
main hatchway I heard a noise of scuffling and struggling^ 
and a voice shouting, Oh,. Master Merry, Master Gray, 
the ghostesses have got hold of me, the ghostesses have got 
hold of me.'’" 

Looking into the hold, I saw, by the light of the lantern, 
Billy Wise struggling with two Frenchmen, while, foi’ward . 
Gray and one of our men were, I discovered, rather by my 
ears than by sight, engaged with another of the prisoners, 
who had apparently worked himself loose. Ned Bambrick 
had started to his feet at the moment that I did. Together 
we leaped down below. We were not an instant too soon. 
Billy was almost overpowered, and as there were some cut- 
lasses at hand, the Frenchmen might have armed theui- 
selves and killed us while we were asleep. Bambrick 
knocked one over with a blow of his fist, and the other was 
easily managed. Where they had come from we could not 
tell. They were none of those who had appeared on deck, 
and must have been concealed very cleverly when we sent 
down to search below. It was a lesson to Gray and me 


150 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


ever a^ter to go and look ourselves when a search of im- 
portance was to be made. While Bambrick and Billy held 
the men down, I ran for some rope, with which we made 
them fast pretty tightly to some stanchions between decks. 
Gray and his companion had in the meantime resecured 
the prisoner who had managed nearly to release himself, 
and we then made a more careful search than before through 
every part of the vessel. We had pretty well satisfied our- 
selves that no one else was stowed away below, when a loud 
cry, and finding the vessel suddenly heeling over, made us 
spring on deck. A squall had struck her. I did not ex- 
pect to see her recover herself. Everything was flying 
away; yards were cracking, the sails in shreds fluttering in 
the gale; the masts were bending as if about to go over the 
side; blocks were falling from aloft; ropes slashing and 
whipping furiously; the water was rushing in through the 
lee scuppers half up the deck, and nearly drowning the un- 
fortunate Frenchmen sitting there, who were shrieking out 
in dismay, believing that their last moments had come. 
Ned Bambrick sprung aft and put up the helm: the after 
canvas was chiefly off her, she had gathered way, and now 
answering her helm, she flew before it. Never had I been 
in such a scene of confusion, increased by the roaring of 
the wind, the shrieks of the prisoners, the rattling of the 
blocks and ropes, the cracking of spars, and the loud slush 
of the water as it rushed about the deck. What had be- 
come of Gray I could not tell. It was too dark now to dis- 
tinguish any one. I called: he did not answer. A horrid 
feeling Seized me. He must have been knocked overboard. 
1 called again in despair. At that moment it would have 
been a matter of indifference to me if the Frenchmen had 
risen and taken the vessel from us. A faint voice answered 
me. It was that of Toby Bluff. He was there, sir, but 
just now.” 

I had been standing on the weather side. I slid down to 
leeward, for I saw some one there. I grasped hold of the 
person, and hauled him up. It was Gray. When the 
vessel was first struck, he had been knocked over by the 
tiller, which he must have just taken, believing that there 
was to be but a slight breeze. He had been half stunned 
and half drowned. He speedily however, to my great joy, 
recovered. I now mustered all hands, most of whom had 
been sent sprawling in among the Frenchmen, who kicked 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


151 


and bit at them, they declared, but which Gray and 1 did 
not believe to be the fact. We now set to work to get the 
ship to rights. We squared yards as well as we could, 
furled the remnant of the canvas, and set a close-reefed 
foretopsail, under which the little vessel ran on very com- 
fortably. Our chief concern was, that we were, as we 
thought, running away from the frigate. None of us felt 
disposed to go to sleep again, so we kept a bright lookout, 
not knowing whether we might not be hurrying directly on 
to a coral reef, or another island. The wind, however, 
soon began to go down, and I was proposing to Gniy to 
haul up again, when Billy Wise, who was stationed forward, 
sung out: 

Starboard — starboard the helm — or we shall run down 
the frigate!” 

Sure enough, in half a minute, we were gliding by under 
her stern. A voice from the deck hailed us: 

What schooner is that?” 

The , don’t know her name — prize to the second 

cutter of His Majesty’s frigate Doris,’ ” I answered. 

We’ve a heap of prisoners, and I don’t know what to do 
with them!” 

Heave to, and we will send a boat on board,” was 
shouted in return. 

Day was just breaking, and the increasing light enabled 
us to manage better than we could otherwise have done. 
We had now less fear of our enemies breaking loose, so all 
hands were able to assist in getting some after-sail on the 
vessel, and bringing her up to the wind. 

Now we shall catch it for all this,” said Gray, as we 
saw the boat pulling toward us from the frigate. 

I hope not,” said I. At all events, we must make 
the best of it. There’s Mr. Fitzgerald in the boat. AVe’ll 
get him to stand our friend.” 

Well, boys, this is a nate piece of work you’ve been 
after doing now !” remarked our handsome second lieuten- 
ant, as he surveyed the deck. You don’t mean to say 
that you captured all these heroes?” 

Every one of them, sir,” said Gray, with perfect seri- 
ousness. I hope the captain won’t be angry. ” 

There’s no saying. However, we’ll see/’ he ansy^ered 
with a smile. 


152 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


We now made more sail, and ran in close under the lee 
of the frigate. 

Perigal was sent on board the schooner to take charge of 
her, and the prisoners were transferred to the deck of the 
frigate, where the captain and most of the officers were as- 
sembled. Mr. Johnson met me. He had just time to 
say— 

I congratulate you, Mr. Merry. YouVe done well. 
You are, worthy of my teaching when the prisoners were 
summoned aft. 

We had given the old colonel his sword, that he might 
present’ it in due form. He marched aft at the head of his 
men, and presented it to Captain Collyer with a profound 
bow. 

The captain then addressed him. I was afterward told 
what he said. It was — 

“ I am surprised, mopsieur, that you, an experienced 
soldier, who have seen much service, should allow yourself 
and your men to be captured by a single boat’s crew and 
two midshipmen.” 

/o//” exclaimed the colonel, with an inimitable 
shrug of the shoulders, and an indescribable expression of 
countenance, indicative of intense disgust. I am a brave 
man; I fear nothing — Tnais c’est ce terrible inal de iner 
(this terrible sea-sickness). 

I do not know what Captain Collyer said in return, hut 
I fancy he did not pay the colonel any cornjJiments on his 
gallantry.* Gray and I were very agreeably surprised 
when, instead, of being reprimanded for what we had done, 
the captain praised us very much for the daring way in 
Avhich we had taken the schooner. Mr. Fitzgerald had told 
him all the particulars beforehand. Somebody, however, 
was to blame for having taken the arms in the boat. All 
the men, however, declared that they knew nothing about 
it, but that the getting them in had been entirely managed 
by New Dawlish, who, being dead, could say nothing in his 
defense, and was therefore found guilty. The truth was, 
that the captain was very well pleased at what had been 
done, and was ready to overlook the disobedience of orders 
of which the men had been guilty. 

* I only hoi^e that Frenchmen, on othei* occasions, may have 
their valor cooled down to zero by that terrible sea-sickness. 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


153 


Gray and I were in high feather. We dined that day 
with the captain, who complimented us on our exploit, and 
made us give him all the particulars. He told us that the 
carpenter, who had been sent on board to survey the 
schooner, had reported favorably of her, and that he pro- 
posed to employ her as a tender, while the frigate was re- 
fitting at Port Royal. 

As it was necessary to get rid of our prisoners, a course 
was steered at once for Jamaica, so we might land them 
there. We found, after a little time, that the French colonel 
was not a bad old fellow. I really believe that he was as 
brave as most men, and that he had spoken the truth when he 
said that le mal de mer had overcome him. ” Probably 
most of his men were in the same condition. Gray and I did 
not forget our resolution to try and learn French, and as 
one of the mates, Duncan McAllister, could speak a little, 
we bt^ged him to ask the old colonel if he would teach us. 
He replied that he would do so gladly, and would teach any 
one else who wished to learn. Indeed om’ proposal was ul- 
timately of great service to him, for when he got on 
shore, and was admitted as a prisoner on his parole, he 
gained a very comfortable livelihood by teaching French. I 
afterward heard that, when the war Was over, he declined 
going back to La Belle France, and settled among his 
friends the English. It is just possible that the way in 
which he had allowed himself and his thirty men to be 
taken by us had something to do witli this decision. 

The colonePs name was, I remember, Pinchard, which 
IS translated Hotbread — a funny name, which I never met 
elsewliere. We invited him into the berth to give his les- 
sons, but we had to clear away several boxes and hampers to 
afford him space to stretch his legs under the table. As he 
sat on the nari’ow locker with his bald head touching the 
deck above, his elbows resting on the table, and his long 
legs stretclied out to the other side of the berth, while we 
youngsters in every variety of attitude grouped ourselves 
around him, he looked like some antiquated Gulliver among 
a party of rather overgrown Lilliputians. At first he had 
a considerable number of pupils, but it was very evident 
that they assembled more for the sake of trying if any fun 
could be found, than with any serious intention of learning 
Frencli. VV^e had forgotten when we had made oiy^i^q- 
posal that books would be necessary to enable us to make 


154 


THE MTHSHIPMAlSr. 


any progress in the language, but not a French work of any 
sort was to be procured on board, still less a grani- 
inar. 

At length the colonel produced two from his valise. 
They were, I have reason to believe, not such as would have 
tended to our edification; but happily, in the then state of 
our knowledge of the language in which they were written, 
they were not likely to hurt our morals. As we had no 
grammar, the colonel made us understand that he wanted 
paper and pens and ink; and then he wrote out words, and 
intimated to us that we were to repeat them after him. He 
would take the hand of one of his pupils and exclaim main” 
and make each of us repeat it after him. Then he would 
seize an ear and cry out orielle” and pretty hard he 
pinched too. If any of us cried out, it evidently alforded 
him infinite amusement. We, of course, gave him the 
name which he always afterward kept, of Colonel Pinch- 
ard. AVhen any of his pupils pronounced the word wrong- 
ly, it was highly amusing to watch the wonderful way in 
which his shoulders went up and his head sunk down be- 
tween them. Ho English pair of shoulders could have be- 
haved in the same way; nor could certainly any English 
mouth have rolled out the extraordinary expletives with 
which he was wont to give force to his sentiments. His 
great delight was, however, pulling Gray^s and my ears, 
which, we agreed, was in revenge for taking him prisoner. 
One day he wrote down nez, and asked me what it meant. 
I replied by a loud neigh like a horse. The rest of the 
party took the joke and laughed, as I intended they should ; 
but he, not understanding the cause of this, and thinkii^g 
that they were laughing at him, seized my nose and gave 
it a tweak, which made me fancy he was pulling it ofi. In 
the impulse of the moment I sprung on the table, and seiz- 
ingjiis nasal promontory, hauled away at it with hearty, 
good-will, and there we sat, he sending forth with unsur- 
passable rapidity a torrent of sa-c-r-r-es, which almost over- 
whelmed me; neither of us willing to be the first to let go. 
At last, from sheer exhaustion and pain, we botli of us fell 
back. I might have boasted of the victory, for, though I 
felt acute pain, my nose did not alter its shape, while the 
Frenchman's swelled up to twice its usual proportions. The 
contest, however, veiy nearly put an end to our French 
lessons. However, as our master was really a good-natured 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


155 


man, he was soon pacified, and we set to work again as be- 
fore. 


CHAPTER X. 

We made wonderful progress with our French, in spite of 
our want of books. Indeed, I have reason to believe that 
information attained under difficulties is not only acquired 
more rapidly, but most certainly more completely mastered, 
than with the aid of all the modern appliances of education, 
which,' like steam engines at full speed, haul us so fast 
along the royal road to knowledge, that we have no time to 
take in half the freight prepared for us. We found, too, 
that the old colonel knew considerably more about English 
than we had at first suspected,- and at last we ascertained 
that he had before been captured, and shut up in a prison 
in England. He did not seeni to have any pleasing recol- 
lections of that period of his existence. One day, after we 
had annoyed him more than usual with our pranks, and 
stirred up his bile, he gave vent to his feelings: 

Ah, you betes, Anglaises,-*^ he exclaimed. You have 
no sympathe vid des miserables. Vous eat ros beef vous- 
memes, and vous starve vos prisonniers. 

He then went on gravely to assure us, that when the in- 
spector of prisons one day rode into the yard of the prison, 
and left his horse there while he entered the building, the 
famished prisoners rushed out in a body and surrounded 
the animal. Simultaneously they made a rush at the poor 
beast, and stabbed it with their knives. In an instant it 
was skinned, cut up, and carried off piecemeal. When 
the inspecting officer came back, he found only the stirrups 
and bit and hoofs. The prisoners were busily occupied 
cooking their dinners, and had already produced most de- 
licious fricassees, so that the English officer could not be- 
lieve that they were formed out of the animal on whose 
back he had galloped up to the prison not an hour before. 

That^s pretty well up to one of Mr. Johnson's yarns," 
observed Gray to me. I wish the old fellow could un- 
derstand him; the boatswain would take the shine out of 
him, I suspect." 

""Bah, dat is nothing," said the colonel. ""I vill tell 
you many more curieuse tings. You talk much of de An- 
glaise ladies. Vel, des are passablement bien; but des all 


156 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


get dronk ven des can. Je sais bien, vy des go upstairs 
before de gentlehommes?— it is dat des may drink at dere 
ease. Ha, ha, dat is vot des do; you drink down-stairs, des 
drink upstairs.’’ 

"^Corne, come. Monsieur Colonel,” exclaimed Duncan 
McAllister, starting up and striking his fist on the table. 

Ye may tell what crammers ye like and welcome, but if 
ye dare to utter your falsehoods about the ladies of Scot- 
land and England, matrons or maids, prisoner though you 
be. I’ll make your two eyes see brighter lightning than has 
come out of them for many a day; and if ye want satisfac- 
tion, ye shall have as much as ye can get out of a stout ash- 
stick. Vous comprennez, don’t ye?” 

The colonel shrugged his shouldei*s, and wisely said noth- 
ing. Though he did not understand all McAllister’s re- 
marks, he saw that he had gone too far, and that it would 
be wiser in future, whatever might have been his belief, not 
to utter any remarks disparaging to the women of England 
among a party of English sailors. 

I dinna think that colonel ever did a bolder thing than’ 
brave a litter of young lions in their den,” exclaimed 
McAllister, who, for some especial reason, held France and 
Erenchmen in utter detestation and abhorrence, though he 
knew more of their language than most of us. 

We did not mind the poor old colonel’s stories, for we 
remembered that he was a prisoner suffering from seasick- 
ness, and that he had no other way of venting his spleen. 

At length we reached Port Koyal, and our prize under 
charge of Perigal arrived at the same time. Colonel 
Pincliard begged so hard that he might stay on board while 
the frigate remained in harbor, that in consideration of the 
instruction he was affording the youngsters he was allowed 
to do so. 

Ah, I do like de ship ven she stay tranquil,” he ex- 
claimed, spreading out his hands horizontally, and making 
them slowly move round. ^‘^But ven she tumble bout, 
den,” he put his hands on his stomach, exhibiting with such 
extraordinary contortions of countenance the acutness of 
his sensations, that we all burst into hearty fits of laughter. 

Indeed the colonel was a never-failing source of amuse- 
ment to us. From the wonderfully prolonged cackk^s in 
which he indulged, he also evidently enjoyed the jokes him- 
self. The schooner, which required but little refitting, was 


THE MIDSHIPMAH. 


157 


soon ready for sea. It was understood that Perigal was to 
have the command, and Gray and I hoped to be allowed to 
accompany him. 'hhe captain had not as yet let us know 
his intentions. We should have been ready enough pro- 
bably, to have spent our time on shore; but as we should 
have but little chance of that, we fancied that we should 
prefer sailing in search of adventures on the ocean. There 
are few more beautiful spots on the earth^s surface than 
Jamaica, with its exquisite verdure, its lofty hills known as 
the Blue Mountains, its round-topped heights covered with 
groves of pimento, its vast savannas or plains, its romantic 
vales, its rivers, bays, and creeks, and its dense and somber 
forests, altogether forming one of the most lovely of tropical 
pictures. 

Entering the harbor, we had Port Royal on the starboard 
hand, at the end of a long spit of land called the Palisades. 
On the opposite side of the narrow entrance was Rock Fort, 
just under a lofty hill, and as the batteries of Fort Charles 
at Port Royal bristled with guns, while those of Fort 
Augusta faced us with an equal number, we agreed that an 
enemy would find it no easy task to enter the harbor. 

The dock-yard was at Port Royal, opposite which we 
brought up. The Palisades run parallel with the mainland, 
thus forming a vast lagoon, not runnng inland, but along 
the coast, as it were. Toward the upper end, the commer- 
cial town, called Kingston, with its commodious harbor, is 
situated. Some way inland, again, is Spanish Town, the 
capital, where the residence of the governor and the House 
of Assembly are to be found. It is a very hot place, and 
the yellow fever is more apt to pay it a second visit than 
strangers who have once been there, if they can help it. 

The admiral on the Jameica station lives on shore, at a 
house called the AdmiraTs Pen, on the Palisades, whence 
he commands a view of the harbor, roadstead, and the 
ocean. He is better off than the governor, because he does 
not get the sea-breeze, which is the best preventive to the 
yellow fever. It takes an hour or more pulling up from 
Port Royal to Kingston, tlie distance being five or six miles, 
or more. Spellman once induced me to ride round along 
the Palisades, but we agreed tliat we would never do it 
again; for, as it was a calm day, and the rays of the sun 
beat down on the white sands, we were very nearly roasted 
alive, and how we escaped a sunstroke I do not know. 


158 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


From what I have said, it will be understood that Port 
Royal Harbor is a very large sheet of water, and what with 
the shipping, the towns, and ports on its shores, and the 
lofty mountains rising up in its neighborhood, is a very 
picturesque place. 

We had not been there long when yellow jack, as the 
yellow fever is called, made its appearance both at Kingston 
and Port Royal, and all visits to the shore were prohibited. 
Gray and I therefore had to make ourselves as happy on 
board as we could, till we received our expected orders to 
join the schooner. We had not had a yarn for some time 
from Mr. Johnson. One evening, when work was over, we 
found him walking the forecastle, taking what he called his 
sunset food-shaker, in a more than usually thoughtful 
mood. As Gray, Spellman, and I, with one or two others, 
went up to him, he heaved a sigh, which sounded not alto- 
gether unlike the roar of a young bull. 

What is the matter, Mr. Johnson?'’^ I asked, approach- 
ing him. You seem melancholy to-day. 

I have cause to be so, Mr. Merry; I have, indeed,’’^ he 
answered, in a tone of deep pathos, again sighing. When- 
ever I look on the blue waters of this harbor, and those 
whitewashed houses, and those lofty mountains, I think of 
a strange and sad episode of my eventful history. 

Of course we all exclaimed with one voice, Do tell it 
us, Mr. Johnson!” To which I added, ^Mf it would not 
break your heart, we should so like to hear it. ” 

Break my heart, Mr. Merry!” exclaimed the boatswain, 
striking his bosom with his open palm, and making it 
sound like a big drum in a regimental band. I could not 
help fancying that there was a considerable amoimt of 
humor lurking in the corner of his eye. 

Break my heart! Jonathan Johnson^s heart is formed 
of tougher stuff than to break with any grief it may be 
doomed to bear. You shall hear. But it strikes me forci- 
bly, young gentlemen, that it may be as well to finish one 
part of my history before I begin another. Who can tell 
where 1 left off?” 

You were just going to be swallowed by the big sea- 
serpent, Mr. Johnson; shij), and crew, and all,” said Gray. 

It would be more correct, Mr. Gray, to say that you 
believed we were going to be swallowed up; because you 
will understand that, had we been swallowed up, I should 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 159 

not in all human probability be here, or ever have attained 
tlie rank of boatswain of His Britannic Majesty^s frigate 
‘ Doris/ said Mr. dohnson, with a polite bend of the head. 
‘‘However, not to keej) you longer in suspense, I will con- 
tinue my narrative: 

“The good ship ‘Diddleus^ was bowling away under 
all sail, and the sea-serpent, with mouth agape, following 
us. I/s my opinion, and others agree with me, that if he’d 
kept his mouth shut he would have caught us; for the hot 
wind coming out of his throat filled our sails, just as if it 
had been blowing a heavy gale of wind, and drove us ahead 
of him; but he was too eager, do you see, and thought every 
moment he was going to grab us. We guessed that he had 
been aroused at finding his back smart from the scratch we 
made in it. We thus ran on till day-break, keeping ahead, 
but not dropping him as much as we could have wished. 
It was very awful, let me tell you, young gentlemen, to see 
his big rolling eyes, to feel his hot breath, to smell a smell 
of sulphur, and to hear his loud roaring. It was painfully 
evident that he was in a tremendous rage at the liberty we 
had taken with his back; and there was no doubt that, had 
he come up with us, he could have swallowed the ship and 
crew, and his own fat into the bargain, with as much ease 
as he swallowed the whale. If it was a terrific sight to see 
him at night, it was still worse in the day-time. His im- 
mense jaws were wide open, showing a dozen rows of teeth, 
while his large eyes projected on either side; and I don’t 
think I exaggerate when I say that the tip of his upper jaw 
was fully sixty feet above the surface of the water. As you 
all well know, young gentlemen, I am not a man to be 
daunted; so I loaded our stern-chasers, and kept blazing 
away at the monster, to make him turn aside; but to no 
efi'ect. I trained the guns myself, and every shot went into 
his mouth; but he just rolled his eyes round, and swallowed 
them as if they were so many pills. It was a fine sigld , 
though a terribly fearful one, I own, to see him coming 
along so steadily and stately, with the water curling and 
foaming under his bows, and fiying high up into the air as he 
cut through it. It was neck or nothing with us; so we kept 
blazing away as fast as we could load. I confess that every 
moment I expected he would make a spring and grab us, 
just as an ordinary fish does the bait held over him; but it 
was necessary that I should set an example of coolness to 


160 


THE MTHSHTPHAH. 


my crew; and, under the circumstances, I believe that mor- 
tal man could not have been cooler. I could not hide from 
myself the consequences, should he catch us; and yet 1 
scarcely dared to hope that we should escape. We had ex- 
pended, at last, all our round shot, and the greater part of 
our powder, and we had to load with bags of nails and any 
langrage we could find. We had half emptied the carpen- 
ter^s chest, and, except some copper bolts, there seemed to 
be nothing else we could fire off, when, by my calculations, 
I found that we were approaching the line. Life is sweet; 
and so, that we might keep off the fatal moment as long as 
possible, we determined to fire away as long as we had a 
tin tack or a bradawl to put into our guns, when, on a sud- 
den, he uttered a fierce roar — it did make us jump — and 
down went his head right under the water, and up went his 
tail like a huge pillar, when flop it came down again, send- 
ing the sea flying over us and very nearly pooping the ship. 
We felt very uncomfortable, for we naturally expected to 
see him come up alongside; but he didn^t, and two minutes 
afterward we made him out close to the horizon, to the 
southward. It was my opinion at the time — ^and I have 
held it ever since — that either he did not like the mouthful 
of big nails and bradawls he swallowed, or that he had some 
objection to crossing the line from not knowing the naviga- 
tion on the other side. At all events, we were clear of him. 
We had a quick run to Liverpool, where the oil sold at a 
very high price, and I got a monstrous amount of credit 
from all who believed my wonderful narrative. As is al- 
ways the case, some didn^t, in spite of the oil I exhibited in 
proof of the occurrence; but I treated the incredulous fel- 
lows with the scorn they deserved, and from that day to 
this, I"ll answer for it. no one has ever caught sight of so 
much as the tail of the real Sea-Serpent.” 

Veil, Mistre Johnson, dat is von very vonderful, vot 
you call it?” exclaimed Colonel Pinchard, who had joined 
us. 

A big, thundering bouncer!” cried a voice from behind 
the boatswain^’s back. He turned sharply round, but did 
not discover the speaker. He shook his fist in that direc- 
tion, however, with a comic expression in his eye, saying: 

Bouncer or no bouncer, mister whoever you are, I beg 
that you’ll understand clearly, that 1 will allow no man, 
whoever he may be, to labor under the misapprehension 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


161 


that I ever depart one tenth of a jDoint from the strict line 
of truth; and that reminds me that I promised you, Mr. 
Merry, and you, Mr. Gray, to narrate an event which oc- 
curred during the next voyage I made. I wasn^t long in 
finding a ship, for the certificates with which the owners of 
the ^Ciddleus^ had furnished me were highly satisfactory; 
in fact, merit like mine couldn^t, in those days, languish in 
obscurity : though, by the bye, I ought not exactly to sing 
my own praises; but when a man has a due consciousness 
of his own superior talents, the feeling will ooze out now 
and then, do all he can to conceal it. Things are altered 
now: mentis claims are no longer allowed, or I should be 
living on shore now." Mr. Johnson pointed significantly 
at the AdmiraFs Pen. 

Ah! Oui! I vonce read of von great man, Sinbad de 
Sailor, and von oder man. Captain Lemuel Gulliver. You 
vary like dem gentlemen," observed Col. Pinchard, with 
the politest of bows, to the boatswain. 

Sinbad! and Gulliver!" shouted the boatswain, indig- 
nantly. If there are two fellows whose names I hate more 
than others, they are those. Take. them all in all, I con- 
sider them, without exception, the biggest liars who have 
ever lived; and if there is a character I detest more than 
another, it is that of a man who departs in the slightest de- 
gree from the truth; no one can any longer have confidence 
in what he says; and, for my own part,lM rather lose my 
right hand, and my head into the bargain, than have the 
shadow of a reason for supposing that the words I was ut- 
tering would run the remotest chance of not being implicit- 
ly believed. " 

The boatswain^s eye kept rolling round on his auditory 
with a self-satisfied glance, and a twinkle withal, as much 
as to say, You I care about understand me perfectly, aiid 
if there are any geese who doiiT, they are welcome to swal- 
low all they can digest. 

^‘‘Ah! I had just found a fresh ship. She was the 
^ Lady Stiggins,^ a fine brig, well armed, and bound round 
Cape Horn. We had a somewhat roving commission, and 
were first to touch here at Jamaica, and one or two others 
of these gems of the tropics — these islands, full of sugar- 
candy and blackamoors. 

I was not at first a favorite with the crew, for not hav- 
ing had an opportunity of testing my qualifications, but 


162 


THE MIDSHIPMAN". 


having heard some of my veracious narratives, they were 
inclined to look upon me as an empty braggadocio, a char- 
acter they very naturally despised; but I soon gave them 
reason to alter their opinion, when I was quickly raised to 
that position in their estimation which I'ever after en- 
joyed. 

We were about a day^s sail from this same harbor of 
Port Eoyal, and were expecting to make the land next 
morning, when it fell calm. It was the hottest time of the 
year. The sun sent his rays down on our heads as if he 
were a furnace a few yards off, making the pitch in the 
seams of our decks bubble and squeak, like ba3on in a fry- 
ing-pan; and I remember that a basket of eggs in the cabin 
were hatched in a few minutes, and looking up from a book 
1 was reading, I saw a whole brood of chickens and ducks 
squattering about the deck; not knowing where they^d come 
from, or what to do with themselves. The chickens, how- 
ever, soon went to roost in a corner, for it was too hot to 
keep awake, and the ducks waddled up on the deck, and 
were making the best of their way over the vessePs side 
into the element in which they delight, when we turned 
them into a water-butt, which contented them mightily. 

But this was not the story I was going to tell you. 
Every one on board felt like the ducks and chickens, over- 
come by the heat; so at last, not considering the risk they 
ran, many of the men stripped off their clothes and jumped 
overboard. 

I, however, kept mine on, and so did several others. 
The fact was, that we had only, in that hot weather, to give 
ourselves a shake, and to turn once round in the sun, and 
we were dry through and through. 

^^We had been frolicking and swimming about for some 
time, enjoying the comparatively cool water, though, for 
the matter of that, it was pretty well hot enough to boil a 
lobster, when suddenly our ears were assailed with a ter- 
rific cry of ^ A shark! a sharkP 

The outside man was a fine young fellow, Tom Harding 
by name. The poor fellow saw his danger, for the shark 
was making directly for him. I sung out to him not to be 
afraid, but to swim as fast as he could toward the ship, 
and he didnT require to be told twice. Meantime I was 
making a circle round, so as to approach the beast in the 
rear; for, as you all know, I am a first-rate swimmer, and 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


163 


I never yet lieard of the man who could keep up with me. 
Why, I once swam from Dover to Calais, and back again, 
for a wager, and danced a hornpipe on the top of Shake- 
speare^s clilf, to the astonishment of all who saw ine — but 
that^s neither here nor there. ” 

Vel, ‘I vender de shark did not eat you,^’ observed the 
colonel, with a grin. 

^'Eat me, mounseer! I should like to see the shark who 
would^ venture to attempt it, unless he found me snoozing 
on the top of a wave,^^ exclaimed the boatswain, in a tone 
of pretended indignation. If it hadn^t been for me, how- 
ever, he would have bolted Tom Harding, and no mistake. 
Well, Tom was swimming for dear life, and all the rest of 
the crew were scrambling up the side of the vessel, think- 
ing that it was all over with both of us, when I saw the 
monster turn on his back, his white belly shining in the 
sun, as he made a grab at Tomb's leg. It was now time for 
me to interfere; so, striking out with all my might, I seized 
the shark by the tail, and slewing him round, just as he ex- 
pected to make a mouthful of Tom, he missed his aim, and 
his jaws met with a crack which sounded like the report of 
a hundred muskets. Tom gave a shriek, for he thought — 
as well he might — that his last hour had come; but, still 
more from instinct than from any hope of escape, he swam 
on, and was very much surprised to find himself alongside 
the shm. In fact, when he was hauled on deck, it was some 
time, I was told, before he could be persuaded that he 
hadnT lost both his legs, so firmly convinced was he that 
the shark had got hold of them. 

^^I meantime kept a taut hold of the fish, who was 
whisking about his tail, and snapping his jaws in his disap- 
pointment; and hard work I had, you may depend onT. 
As he went one way I pulled the other, and acting like a 
rudder, brought him round again, till I worked him near 
and nearer to the ship. At last I got him alongside, and 
singing out for a rope, which was quickly hove to me, I 
passed it dexterously over his tail, and told the men on deck 
to haul it taut. He was thus partly secured, but the 
difiBculty was to make his head fast, for I had no fancy to 
get within the power of his jaws. I should observe that he 
was the largest shark I ever saw. I was almost despairing 
of securing him, when one of the men. Bill Jones, I re- 
member, was his name, made fast a big hook with a lump 


lU 


THE MIDSHIPMAN". 


of pork to the top-gallant halyards, and hove it before him. 
The shark grabbed it in a moment, and we had him fast. 
Those on deck had just before been endeavoring to pass a 
rope under his head, and this now slipped up and caught 
in his jaws. No sooner did he feel the iron in his mouth, 
than, darting, forward, away he went ahead of the vessel. 
As I ^rung on deck the idea struck me that I would make 
him of use. There was no great difficulty, for, passing an- 
other line over his jaws, we had a regular pair of reins on 
him. One end of the line was brought in on the starboard 
and the other on the larboard bow port, while the hook in 
the nose served to bring him sharp up, when he ran too 
fast. No sooner were these arrangements made than away 
he went at a rapid pace ahead, towing us at the rate of at 
least six knots an hour — I like always to be under the mark, 
for fear of being thought guilty of exaggeration. By haul- 
ing in, now on one side now on the other, we managed to 
steer him very well on our proper course. 

The calm continued, but on we glided through the 
water, to the inexpressible astonishment of the crews of 
several crafts we passed, who, of course, thought the 
^ Lady Sniggins ^ must be the / JPlying Dutchman. ^ As we 
entered the harbor, the surprise of the people on shore was 
equally great; and no sooner did we drop anchor than the 
brig was surrounded by boats full of people, eager to hear 
an explanation of the phenomenon. They could scarcely 
credit our assertions when we told them how we had got 
along, till we showed them the monster frisking about 
under the bows almost as tame and docile as a dog. 

I had always a wonderful knack of managing pets of 
all sorts, and by kindly treating Jack Shark he became very 
fond of me, and whenever I went on shore he would swim 
after the boat, and. remain frolicking about near her till my 
return. At last I thought I would make him of use; so, 
rigging a pair of short reins, I slipped them over his jaws, 
and then, jumped on his back. He understood in a mo- 
ment what was expected of him, and away he went with 
me at a rapid rate through the water. After that, lighting 
my pipe quite comfortably, I invariably went on shore on 
his back, and throwing my reins over a post, I used to 
leave him till my return. You may depend on it, none of 
the little blackamoors ever played tricks with him. 

There are many of the principal merchants and others 


THE MIDSHIPMAH. 


165 


at Kingston even now, who would, young gentlemen, if 
you were to ask them, vouch for the truth of the circum- 
stance. J ust ask them, and hear what they'll say. The 
curious part of it was, that though so tame with me, he 
would attack anybody else, and not a seamen from any of 
the ships dared to attempt swimming on shore as they had 
frequently before done. In fact he did swallow one or two; 
and I believe that he was voted a perfect nuisance, so that 
every one was glad when we and our pet left the harbor to 
prosecute our voyage. Of course he followed us; and I 
used every morning to heave him a piece of pork for his 
breakfast, a few casks of which I bought cheap of a Jew on 
purpose. It was measly, but he didn't mind that. And 
now I'm coming to the melancholy part of the history con- 
nected with my pet shark. But I have talked a great deal, 
and in this warm weather it's an exertion even to use one's 
jaws; so, young gentlemen, you must excuse me from con- 
tinuing my veracious narrative for the present. " 

Oh, do go on, Mr. Johnson — do go on," we all ex- 
claimed; but the boatswain was inexorable, and, as it hap- 
pened, it was some time before we heard the sequel to his 
history of the shark. 

The next day. Gray and I, and Spellman, were ordered 
to join the schooner with twenty hands. Perigal still kept 
command, and at the last moment McAllister came on 
board to act as his first lieutenant, with the assistant sur- 
geon Macquoid, and a clerk, Bobus, as purser. Of course 
the schooner did not require so many officers and men to 
navigate her, but we hoped to take many prizes, and hands 
of course would be wanted to bring them home. We in- 
vited the old colonel to accompany us. With a most amus- 
ing grimace, and an inimitable shake of the head and shrugs 
of the shoulders he answered, Ah, gentlemens, 

I do love vous va-a mosh; but de mer — fie terrible mer. I 
fio vish fie vorld ver von big earth . and no vater. " So we 
had to leave the colonel and our French lessons behind; 
but we assured him that we would study hard during our 
absence. Good as were our intentions, it was not very 
likely that we could adhere to them, and, by the expression 
of his countenance, the colonel showed that he was strongly 
of that opinion. 

We sailed at day-break and had the land breeze to take 
i:s out of the harbor. Our course was to the southward. 


166 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


toward the well-knowTi Spanish Main. Our schooner was 
the Espoir.” She sailed well and carried two eighteen- 
pounders and six long-eights, so that we had every reason 
to hope that we should pick up some prizes, if we . did not 
get taken ourselves. That last contingency did not occur 
to us. Though it was hot and we were rather crowded in 
the cabin, we had a very pleasant time on board. We natu- 
rally messed together, and had secured all the good things 
from the shore, in the shape of fruits and vegetables, and 
poultry and liquor, which we could collect. It is very well 
for poets and authors to make their heroes contented with 
hard fare. I can only say that midshipmen are not, if 
they know that better is to be got; and I have observed, 
whenever I have been in the society of poets and other 
authors, that, practically, they have enjoyed a good dinner 
as much as any class of people could do, and been very 
much inclined to grumble if they did not get it too. 

We were out some days without sighting a single sail, 
but we were not the less merry, living upon hope, and the 
good fare our caterer, Macquoid, had collected. At length 
a sail was seen, and chase made. It was some time before 
we could make out whether the stranger was a man-of-war 
or merchantman, a friend or foe. She was a brig, we soon 
discovered, and when we saw her up helm and run off be- 
fore the wind, we had no doubt as to her pacific character. 
Still she might be English, and, if so, we should have had 
our chase for nothing. She was a slow sailer, for we came 
up With her rapidly. We had showed no colors, and had 

f ot her within range of our long guns, when up went the 
'rench ensign. A chter burst from our throats. It would 
have been more hearty if we had thought she had been 
armed. We showed our* colors in return. On we stood, 
firing a shot wide of her as a signal for her to heave to. 
She obeyed, and we, heaving to near her, McAllister, with 
Spellman and a boat^s crew, were sent to take possession. 
The boat was sent back with several of the French crew. 
The prize was not a rich one, but she was too valuable to 
be destroyed, so Perigal directed Spellman to take her to 
Jamaica, allowing him four hands. Miss Susan did not at 
all like having his cruise cut so short, but we congratulated 
him on the honor of having a separate command, being our- 
selves very well contented to continue on board the Espoir. ” 
For two days more we stood south, when, at day-break, an- 


THE MIDSHIPMAN". 


167 


other sail was descried from the mast-head. She was a 
schooner and from the squareness of her yards, her taut 
masts, and her white canvas, we suspected that, should she 
be an enemy, she would prove a very different sort of cus- 
tomer to the slow -sailing brig we had just before captured. 
That she was not afraid of us was very evident, for throw- 
ing her head-sails aback, .she aw^aited our coming. 

In a short time we made out the French ensign flying at 
her peak, and we concluded that she was a privateei*, proba- 
bly with a large crew, and well armed. Perigal, on this, 
called all hands aft. Now, my lads,^’ said he, that 
craft is an enemy; very likely twice as many men dance on 
her decks as on ours; but they are Frenchmen, and I want 
to show that we are English, every one, to the backbone, 
and see how quickly we can take her. I have nothing more 
to say, except to tell you not to throw your shot away, and, 
if it comes to boarding, when you strike, strike home. 
Three hearty cheers were the response to this address. The 
old mate was not much given to oratory, but, when he 
spoke, he never failed to speak to the purpose. Arms were 
served out, and pistols were stuck in belts, and cutlasses 
buckled on; muskets were loaded, and arranged in readi- 
ness for use; powder and round shot were brought on deck, 
and the men, stripped to the waist, with handkerchiefs 
bound round their heads, stood ready for action. They 
looked as grim and determined a set as a commanding 
officer would wish to see; but still, jokes were bandied 
about one from the other, and it did not seem to occur to 
any of them that, before another hour of time had slipped 
by, in all probability several might be numbered with the 
dead. Ned Bambrick was at the helm, with his eye cast 
ever and anon at the canvas, and then at the Frenchman, 
as we glided on rapidly toward him, just as cool and un- 
concerned as if he was standing up to speak a friend. We 
had the weather-guage, and Perigal resolved to keep it. 
Supposing the enemy superior to us in strength, it would 
give us an important and necessary advantage. To a sail- 
or's eye it was a pretty sight to see the two schooners ap- 
proaching. The Espoir "was a handsome craft, andso was 
her antagonist. We did not at first show our colors. No 
sooner, however, did we hoist them than the Frenchman 
filled his sails and tacked, in the hope of weathering on us, 
firing at the same time a gun of defiance. We suspected 


168 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


that he had not till then known exactly what to make of 
us, and possibly had taken us for a friend. However, the 
Frenchmen were now in for it, and, like brave men, were 
resolved to fight it out. We were now near enough for our 
long-eights to tell, and the very first shot, flying hi^h, 
knocked away the jaws of the enemy^s main gafi, woundmg 
at the same time the head of the mainmast. At seeing 
this, a hearty cheer rose froih all on board. It was a prog- 
nostic of success. 

If we^d tried to do that same we could not have suc- 
ceeded>^' observed McAllister. I say, Perigal, you must 
let me take that craft to Jamaica. 

With all my heart, my boy, when she^s ours; but it^s 
ill-luck to give away what doesn^t belong to us,^’ answered 
our skipper. 

Never mind; but she will be before many minutes are 
over,^^ persisted McAllister. Now, lads, just follow suit 
to that shot, and we^ll do for the moun seers in a very short 
time. 

By this fortunate shot we had the enemy almost in our 
power. . She ran off before the wind, and we soon came up 
with her, and hung on her quarter, so that she could rarely 
bring more than one gun at a time to bear on us. She had 
fired several shots without effect, but at last to make amends, 
one came flying diagonally across our deck, taking off the 
head of one of our ruen, and knocking over a second, w^ho 
survived but a few moments. A few more such fatal shots 
would sadly have thinned our numbers. The enemy had a 
good number of men on deck, but not so many as we ex- 
pected. Some were sent aloft to try and repair the damage 
to the gaff, and this, as we had got within musket range, 
we did our best to prevent by keeping uj) a fire of small 
arms at them. I had seized a musket, and with others was 
blazing away, not very effectually, for the men continued 
their work, and no one appeared to be hurt,, when, just as 
I had fired, I saw a man drop stone dead upon the deck. 
It was my shot had done the deed. A sickening sensation 
came over me. I felt as if I had committed a murder. It 
would have been different had I hit one of the men at the 
guns, but the poor fellow was performing, so it seemed, but 
an ordinary piece of a seaman^s duty; my blood was cold, I 
did not feel that he was my enemy. Perhaps the idea was 
foolish, it did not last long. The rest of the men aloft were 


THP] MIDSHIPMAN. 


169 


soon driven on deck, and shooting ahead, we ranged up 
alongside, and poured in the whole of our broadside. The 
enemy returned our fire, but our men worked their guns 
almost twice as quick as the Frenchmen did, aiming much 
better, and the effect was soon apparent in their shattered 
bulwarks, deck strewed with slain, and torn sails. 

Blaze away, lads!^^ shouted McAllister, as he went from 
gun to gun, pointing one, lending a hand to run out an- 
other, or to load a third. 

Still the gallant Frenchmen fought on. They were very 
unlike old Pinchard and his men; but there was this dif- 
ference, they were sailors, whereas the others were soldiers, 
and it was the mal de mer in that instance deserved the 
credit of the victory more than we did. This close firing 
soon got our blood up, and I now felt anxious to run the 
enemy aboard, that we might be at them with our cutlasses. 
I have not often found Frenchmen foolhardy: they know 
when they are beaten. Englishmen don^t, and so some- 
times stumble against all rule into victory. Just as Perigal 
had ordered Bambrick to put the helm to starboard, to run 
the enemy aboard, the French captain hauled down his 
flag, and, coming to the gangway, made us a profound bow, 
as an additional sign that he had struck. We immediately 
ceased firing, and as our boats had escaped damage, one 
was lowered, and McAllister and I went on board to take 
possession. We had certainly contrived in a short hour 
considerably to spoil the beauty of the French schooner, 
and dreadfully to diminish the number of her crew. Her 
brave captain and most of his officers were wounded, and 
six men were killed and ten wounded. Her captain re- 
ceived us on the quarter-deck, where he stood ready to 
deliver his sword with the greatest politeness, as if it was 
really a pleasant act he was performing, and assured us 
that it was the fortune de la guerre, and that he had learned 
to yield to fortune without a murmur. 

He really is one of the pleasantest Frenchmen I have 
ever met,^^ observed McAllister. We must treat hinj with 
all consideration.^'’ 

Curiously enough, this remark of my messmate kept con- 
tinually running in my head, and I could hot help repeat- 
ing it. We had plenty to do to bury the dead, wash the 
decks, repair the mast, and spars^ and bulwarks, and to 
jsplice the rigging, and. bend .fresh sails, McAllister was 


170 


THE MIDSHIPMAJ?-. 

directed to go as prize-master, and I with Bambrick, Foley, 
and four other hands accompanied him; some of the French 
crew were removed on board the Espoir,"’"’ but the cap- 
tain, two officers, and eight men remained with us as 
prisoners. 

Perigal had, in fact, already, more prisoners than his own 
crew now mustered. Our new prize was the Audacieuse,^^ 
a larger vessel and better armed than the Espoir.-’"’ By 
nightfall we had made great progress in getting the prize 
to rights, and as our own vessel had suh'ered but little, we 
were able to bestow all our strength upon her. Both Perigal 
and McAllister were very anxious to continue the cruise to- 
gether. The objection to this was the number of our 
prisoners. Still, as McAllister argued, the commander of 
the prize. Lieutenant Preville, was a very quiet sort of fel- 
low, and the men left on board were orderly and well-be- 
haved, so that he should have no difficulty in keeping them 
under. 

But, remember, McAllister, ^hat crews have sometimes 
risen against their captors, and retaken their vessels. It 
will be necessary to be very careful, observed Perigal. 

Oh, never fear, my old fellow; I should think that we 
seven Englishmen could keep a dozen or more Frenchmen in 
order,” answered McAllister, with a somewhat scornful 
laugh. ^^Ifwe go into action; we will clap them under 
hatches, and they will be quiet enough, depend on that.” 

At length Perigal yielded, and the Audacieuse’s ” mast- 
head having been finished, and all other damages made 
good, we continued our cruise together. Lieutenant Pre- 
ville was a gentleman, and really a very pleasant fellow; 
and, to show our appreciation of his good qualities, we in- 
vited him to live in his own cabin, and to partake of the . 
delicacies which he had laid in for his own special use, 
which was generous on our part; and which conduct he did 
not fail to acknowledge by doing ample justice r to the 
viands. He frequently too, would tuck up his sleeves, and, 
going into the galley, would cook dishes, which I doubt, 
that any Parisian could have surpassed. 

Ah, nia foi” he observed in French when we compli- 
mented him on his success. In my opinion a man has no 
right to claim the character of a civilized being, much less 
of a chef, unless he can produce a complete dinner from 
m old tom-C4t and a bundle of He ghouid de- 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


171 


pend on the fire and the sources managed by his own skill. 
The rest of the materials are nothing. The fire brings 
everything to the same condition.-’^ Certainly Lieutenant 
Preville managed to give us an infinite variety of dishes, to 
all appearance, the foundation of which, to the best of my 
belief, was salt pork, and beef of a very tough and dry nat- 
ure. Of course, such a man would soon win his way into 
the good graces of far more stoical beings than English 
midshipmen are apt to be at present, or were in those good 
old days. 


CHAPTER XL 

Well, Marmaduke, my hoy, we are having a jolly 
cruise of it,” observed McAllister one afternoon, as we 
walked the deck together, having just partaken of an 
especially good dinner, dressed by our most polite and ob- 
sequious prisoner. Lieutenant Preville. ^^If we could but 
fall in with two or three more fat prizes we should be able 
to set up as independent gentlemen when we get back home 
again, and I should be able to regain the lands of the 
McAllisters from the southern churl who has dared to take 
possession of them. ” 

They are not very extensive, then, I conclude,” I ob- 
served. A midshipman’s share of prize money, even for 
the richest galleon of old Spain, would not go far to pur- 
chase much of an estate. ” 

Extensive! my boy; I wish you could just come north 
and have a look at them,” exclaimed McAllister. You 
can’t see from one end to the other, and there is the finest 
of fine old towers, which would be perfectly habitable, if it 
were not for the w^ant of windows, and fioors, and doors, 
and other woodwork; and as to the lands, to be sure there 
is a somewhat considerable preponderance of bog and moor, 
but oats and potatoes grow finely on the hill-sides. Ah, 
my boy, I know well enough wliat’s what — the value of 
rich pastures and corn-fields — but there’s nothing like the 
home of one’s ancestors — the heathery hills of old Scotland 
— for all that. ” 

My shipmate spoke with deep feeling, though he had 
begun in a half-joking vein. Our prisoner joined us, and 
put a stop to the conversation. He offered to go down for 
his guitar, and, returning with it on deck, he touched the 


THE ^riHSHIPMAN. 


1 fVkl 

i / Z 

strings, and sung a light French song with much taste and 
with a fair voice. We complimented him on his perform- 
ance. 

Ah, you like singing; I will sing to you night and day, 
ma foi,** He observed, ^^It is a satisfaction to a man of 
sentiment to give pleasure to his friends, and I look upon 
you as my friends in spite of our relative positions. They 
arise from the circumstances of war. We are friends — ^true 
friends — why should we be otherwise?” Then he resumed 
his guitar and sung again as gayly as before. 

We and our consort kept close together, and as the sail- 
ing powers of the two vessels were pretty equal, there was 
little danger of our being separated. Two days after this 
it fell a dead calm. There we lay, not quite steady, but 
rolling gently from side to side, moved by the scarcely per- 
ceptible and glassy undulations which rose under our keels. 
The sails went flap-flap against the masts in the most sense- 
less manner, till McAllister ordered them to be furled to 
prevSit the wear and tear they were undergoing. As to 
the heat, I had never before felt anything like it in the 
tropics. We could have baked a leg of mutton almost, 
much more fried a beef -steak, on the capstan-head, while 
below a dish of apples might easily have been stewed. I 
remembered Mr. Johnson ^s account of the heat in the West 
Indies, and began to fear that he had not exaggerated it. 
It went on growing hotter and hotter, or we felt the heat 
more and more. The smoke from the chimney of the gal- 
ley went right up in a thin column, and hung in wreaths 
over our heads, while that from our cigars, being of a lighter 
character, ascended over our noses, and Anally disappeared 
in the blue quivering air. The Espoir ” lay within hail 
of a speaking trumpet, and as we had nothing else to do, 
we carried on an animated conversation with each other, 
not very dignified, but highly amusing to all concerned. 
We had better have held our tongues, I suspect. Any de- 
parture from discipline is bad. The Frenchmen who were 
on deck soon began to imitate our example, and, as they 
mostly spoke in Vi patois or jargon which we of course could 
not understand, we did not know what they were saying. 
I thought I saw a peculiar expression on the faces of some 
of them, especially when now and then they glanced round 
and looked at our men. At last, I told McAllister that I 
fancied the Frenchmen were plotting treason, and that it 


THE MIDSHIPHAK. 


173 


would be wise to make tliem hold their tongues. He 
laughed at the notion, and asked if I supposed a set of frog- 
eating, grinning Frenchmen would dare to lift a finger 
against such a crew of bull-dog Englishmen as were our men. 

can not say they wouldn%^^ I answered; ^‘they 
fought pretty toughly before they gave in. ” 

Very true, but they had a chance of victory then. How 
the chances would be all against them, and they might ex- 
pect to be pitched overboard if they failed,'’^ he i;eplied, 
turning away as if he did not like the suggestion. He, 
however, soon after hailed Perigal, to say that he thought 
we had had enough of that, and then, turning to the French 
prisoners, told them to hold their tongues. After a time a 
mist seemed to be rising over the water, but the heat in no 
way decreased. 

There is something coming, I observed to McAllister., 
What do you think 

Christmas, or perhaps a breeze,^’ he answered jokingly; 
both to all appearances equally far off. I see one thing, 
though, which would make me rather unwilling to jump 
overboard.'’^ He pointed to a black triangular object, below 
which was a long shadowy form that was moving slowly 
round the ship. What’s that?^^ 

The. boats wain^’s pet shark, I suppose,'’^ said I, laugh- 
ing. I should almost expect to see the ^ Doris coming 
up with a breeze from the nor^ard. 

Just jump on his back. Merry, and see if he doesnT 
carry you off up to the frigate. It would astonish them 
not a little to see you coming, said McAllister. 

Thank you, I leave such wonderful performances to 
wonderful people like Mr. Johnson, said I. 

Just then the monster, turning up the white of his under- 
sides, made a dart at a black bottle and a wisp of hay which 
had been thrown overboard in the morning. Down they 
went into his capacious maw. 

Unpleasant sort of pill. I wonder if the glass will cut 
him,^^ observed McAllister. 

I shuddered, for I could not help thinking what would 
have been the. fate of any human being who might have 
happened to be overboard. The seamen had found out 
their enemy, and were talking about him, and watching his 
proceedings with suspicious glances. They have an idea 
that when a shark follows a vessel some one is about to die 


174 


THE MIDSHIPMAH. 


on board, and that he is waiting for tlie corpse. Sharks 
have been known to follow vessels for days together, but 
undoubtedly it is simply that they may feed on the offal 
thrown overboard. Of course if any seaman happens to 
die’ during the time, unless he is lashed up in a hammock 
with a shot at his feet, they are likely to be the gainers. I 
have, however, very often seen them following a ship when 
nobody has died. One example in support of a superstitious 
idea does more to confirm it in the minds of the ignorant, 
than a hundred examples on the opposite side do to weaken 
the belief in it. 

Not long after this, Perigal hailed McAllister, and point- 
ing round to the sky, told him that he did not like the looks 
of things. He then signed to us to strike our topmasts, 
and make everything snug aloft. At the same moment the 
crew of the Espoir^^ were seen swarming aloft to shorten 
sail. We had our sails lowered. Hands were now sent 
aloft to furl them carefully, and. to strike upper yards and 
topmasts. While the hands were thus engaged, as I was 
standing by the compass to ascertain the direction of the 
schooner^s head, I saw Perigal point to the westward, and 
make a sign to the men aloft to hurry with their work. I 
did the same, though we, having less to do, were ahead in 
our proceedings of our consort. I saw enough to convince 
me that there was no time to be lost. The blackest of 
black clouds had gathered with a rapidity scarcely credible, 
and w'ere rushing on toward us with headlong speed. It 
was not as is often the case w^hen a storm is brewing, a few 
light clouds come first, like the skirmishers in advance of 
an army; but the whole body came on in one dense mass, 
the sea below it foaming, and hissing, and curling with a 
noise which we could hear even before the wind reached us. 
A hurricane was doming, and one of no ordinary violence. 

Lie down! lie down! off the yards, all of you!’^ shouted 
McAllister. The men required no second command. A 
glance at the quickly changing sky and water told them 
what was approaching. They slid down the rigging, and 
in silence awaited the bursting of the tornado. The French- 
men who were on deck looked pale and anxious, as if they 
dreaded the consequences of the hunicane. Bambrick and 
another good hand went to the helm. A part of the fore 
staysail was hoisted. Just to pay the vessePs head off. We 
were not long kept in suspense. With a loud hiss and a 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


175 


roar like thunder the hurricane struck us. The schooner 
heeled over to the gale; I thought she was going over alto- 
gether. Many fancied so likewise^ and cries of terror es- 
caped from several of the Frenchmen. Lieutenant Preville 
uttered an expression of annoyance at the pusillanimity of 
his countrymen. 

They are brave gar9ons, though he exclaimed, ^^and 
fight like heroes with mortal foes of flesh and blood; but 
they are not like you bull-dog English, who fear neither 
mortals nor spirits, and would do battle with the Prince of 
Darkness himself, if you met him in the open seas on board 
any craft he might be able to charter. 

What more the lieutenant might have said Ido not know, 
for the howling of the tempest drowned his voice. The 
foaming seas began to rush up the schooner^s deck, and 
dense masses of spray flew over her. I thought, indeed, 
that she was gone; but, recovering from the effects of the 
first blast, she rose a little when her staysail felt the force 
of the wind. Round went her head; another blast stronger 
than the first blew the canvas from the bolt-ropes, but the 
desired effect had been produced, and away she flew under 
bare poles through the ocean of seething foam; the wind 
howling and shrieking, and the waters hissing and roaring 
as we passed over them. ■ 

Till that moment, all my attention having been concen- 
trated on our own craft, I had not thought of our con- 
sort. I now looked out for her. She was not to be found 
in the direction where I expected to see her. I cast my 
eyes round anxiously on every side. The atmosphere was 
now so dense with spray torn up from the surface of the 
ocean that the extent of our horizon was much limited. Yet 
I fancied that we must still be close to our consort. In vain 
I looked round. I called out to McAllister and told my 
fears. Certain it was that the Espoir was nowhere to be 
seen. I felt very sad. I could not help dreading that the 

Espoir” had been struck as we were, and being less 
prepared, had capsized and gone over. I thought what 
had become of poor Gray, my constant firm friend, and 
honest Perigal, and I pictured to myself how his young 
wife would mourn his loss, and whether, if I ever got 
home, I should have to go and tell her how it had hap- 
pened. I remembered that huge monster of a shark, 
which had been swimming round the vessels, and I be- 


THP] illDSHlPMAlSr. 


17 (] 

thought me that he had come for them if not for us. I was 
not singular for 'when the Espoir was missed by others, 
as was soon the case when they began to lose fear for them- 
selves, I heard Bambrick observe to his companion at the 
helm, thought so;. I know^d that brute hadn^t come for 
nothing; they always knows better nor we or the port- 
admiral himself what^s in the wind. He was as sartin sure 
as cheese is cheese that this here harrycane was a-coming 
long before we’d even a notion that it was a-brewing. ” 

The other seaman shook his head with a grave look, as 
he answered, I wonder how many of them poor fellows 
he’s got down his hungry maw by this time!” 

Such was the style of conversation among our men. 
What the Frenchmen was saying I do not know. They 
very soon recovered their spirits and courage, and began 
laughing and chattering, and dancing about the decks in 
higher spirits than ever. Perhaps they did not always in- 
tend to move, but the now fast rising seas gave the lively 
little vessel sudden and unexpected jerks, which sent them 
jumping forward or aft, or from side to side, whenever they 
happened not to be holding on to anything. Still I did not 
feel that we were altogether free from danger. The hurricane 
blew fiercer and fiercer, the sea got up also rapidly, and 
threw the vessel about in a way which made it very difficult 
to steer before it. Fortunately our topmasts were housed, 
or they would have been jerked overboard. I asked Mc- 
Allister what he proposed doing. 

Doing! Why, of course, scud on till the hurricane has 
blown itself out,” he answered. 

But doesn’t the wind sometimes shift in a hurricane, 
and blow more furiously from another quarter,” I asked. 

Of course it does, and perhaps it will, and we shall be 
blown back again as far as we have come,” he said, taking 
a look at the compass. 

But suppose it was to blow us back further than we 
have come,” I observed. 

Merry, just go and bring the chart to the companion 
stair,” was his answer. It will be blown away if we have 
it on deck, and I can not go below just now.” I brought 
the chart, of ' which he took a rapid glance. Eastward, as 
Ave were now driving, Ave had plenty of sea-room, and in a 
wholesome craft like ours, there was nothing to fear; but 
Av^st-w^rd thm was the coast of Central America, fringed 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


177 


by rocks and sand-banks, on which many a noble ship has 
been stranded since Columbns discovered the western 
world. 

‘^It is to be hoped that the wind will not shift he an- 
swered. ^^It does not always. Don^t let us anticipate 
evil.;^ 

Lieutenant Preville inquired what we were talking about. 
We told him. lie shrugged his shoulders. ‘‘^Patience; 
the fortune of war; we seamen must always be subject to 
such reverses/^ he remarked. 

The Frenchman takes things easily/^ observed McAllis- 
ter. I wish that I could do so.” 

I had never before pictured to myself what a West Indian 
hurricane really was. At times I thought that the schooner 
would be blown fairly out of the water. How her masts 
remained in her was a puzzle, from the way she jerked and 
rolled, and plunged madly onward, struggling away from 
the seas which seemed every moment as if they would catch 
and overwhelm her. Even though thus flying before the 

f ale, we felt as if we should be blown down, had we not 
ept a good grip of the bulwarks, and those forward had 
hard work to make their way aft. Suddenly there was a 
lull. The effect was curious; I can liken it to nothing but 
when, by shutting a thick door, some loud hubbub of angry 
voices is no longer heard. The schooner tumbled about 
just as much as before, or even more, but, instead of being 
driven onward, she was thrown madly from wave to wave, 
backward and forward ; it seemed as if they were playing a 
game of ball with her. McAllister ordered me to hurry 
forward and to get some head-sail on the schooner. Some 
of the lower parts of the fore-staysail remained. There 
was no time to bend a new one. There had been a little 
wind before; it now fell a dead calm; the smoke of a cigar 
would have ascended as it had done a few hours before. It 
proved but treacherous: I positively jumped from the sud- 
denness with which the hurricane again struck the vessel, 
and, as we had apprehended, from the eastward. Happily 
the sail this time produced the desired effect, turning her 
head from the wind, and then away the canvas flew from 
the bolt-ropes far off upon the gale. Onward we drove as 
before, still more tossed and tumbled. . Had our friend. 
Colonel Pinchard, been with us, he would have had some 
reason to oomplain of the mal de mm The ^rAudacieiiso^’ 


178 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


was a strong tight vessel, or she would have sprung a dozen 
leaks and gone down, with all the knocking about she got. 
She, however, remained as dry as a bottle. Still, as we 
rushed on, every instant approaching nearer and nearer the 
rocks and sand-banks of the coast of Central America, our ^ 
anxiety increased. It was vain to hope that we could heave 
to, or in any way stop our mad career. We had done all 
that could be done, and had now only calmly to wait our 
fate, whatever Providence had designed that should be. It 
is under such circumstances as this that the courage and 
resignation of men are most severely tried. All action has 
of necessity ceased, the body is at rest, the mind has now 
full time for thought. Numberless acts of the past life 
rise .up to the recollection, many a deed, and thought, and 
word, which must bring either pain or fear; principles 
undergo a test which the wrong and baseless can not bear. 
Death looks terribly near. What can stand a man in good 
stead on an occasion like this? One thing, and one thing 
alone — sound Bible religion; a firm faith in Him who took 
our nature upon Him, and died for our sins, and rose 
again, that He might present us, rising with Him, faultless 
before the throne of Grace. I say that is the only thing 
that can make a man feel perfectly happy under such cir- 
cumstances. I have seen many men stand boldly up to 
meet expected death, who have no such hope, no such con- 
fidence; but their cheeks have been pale, their lips have 
quivered, and oh, the agony depicted in their eyes. The 
soul was speaking through them, and told of its secret 
dread. Let no one be deceived by the outward show, the 
gallant bearing of a man. Too often, all within is terror, 
horror unspeakable, of the near-approaching, unknown 
future. 

We had still a long way to drive before we could reach 
the neighborhood of the dreadful shoals aud reefs. Most 
of the men, probably, were ignorant of the risks we were 
about to encounter. Happily, perhaps, for seamen, l^hey 
seldom realize danger till it presents itself palpably before 
them. The Frenchmen, after a time gaining confidence, 
began to laugh and joke as before. Our men stood calm 
and grave at their posts. Not that they saw danger or felt 
fear, but that they were engaged in their duty, and knew 
that much depended on their steadiness and courage. Night 
came on; it was far more trying than the day. I felt very 


THE MIDSHIPMAN’. 


179 


tired; but as to turning in, that was out of the question. 
Hours after hours we ilew on, plunging headlong through 
the darkness, and often, to my excited imagination, strange 
shrieks and cries seemed to come out of the obscurity. 
Once, as we flew on, as I stood watching black masses of 
water rising on our quarter and rolling on abeam of us, I 
fancied that I saw a large ship, her hull with her lofty 
masts towering up to the skies close to us. It appeared as 
if another send of the sea would have driven us aboard her. 
I thought that I could distinguish people leaning over her 
bulwarks watching us with longing eyes. There was a gush 
of waters from her scuppers. I could hear the clang of the 
pumps; she was already deep in the water, rolling heavily; 
cries rose from her decks; lower and lower she sunk. I 
watched her with straining eyes. A dark sea rose up be- 
tween her and the schooner. She was no longer where she 
had been; the tracery of her masts and rigging appeared for 
an instant above the water, and then sunk forever. I ut- 
tered a cry of regret. McAllister shouted to me, and asked 
me why I had gone to sleep. I declared that I had been 
wide awake, and told him what I had seen. 

YouVe sharper eyes than any one else,” he answered. 

You must have been asleep; we passed no ship, depend 
on that.^^ 

I insisted on it that we had, and that he had not been 
looking out as I had ; and from that day to this day I am 
uncertain which ’w^as right. I must, however, own that 
none of the men had seen the sinking ship; but then I hold 
that neither were they looking out; and it was but a few 
moments that she was in sight. 

Had all on board seen her, we could have rendered 
her hapless crew no assistance,” I thought to myself; so 
it does not signify.” 

On we drove. I never spent a more trying night at sea. 

I thought the morning never would come, or the gale end. 
The morning, however, did come, as it always does for 
those who wait for it. We were still driving on furiously, 
and as the cold gray light of the early dawn broke on the 
world of waters, the tossing ocean seemed more foam cov- 
ered and agitated than even on the previous day. I could 
see no signs of the cessation of the hurricane, nor did 
McAllister. Bambrick, however, observed that he thought 
there was less wind, and that it blew with*more steadiness 


180 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


than before. The Frenchmen gave no opinion; indeed, 
most of them were below asleep. I worked my way for- 
ward to look out ahead. I stood by the side of the man 
stationed there for some minutes. 

The sea is terribly broken away on the starboard bow 
there, I said. 

Yes, sir, I donT like the looks of it,” was the answer, 
as we continued gazing. We did not speak again for some 
minutes. It was as I feared, though. 

^‘Breakers! breakers ahead we both simultaneously 
shouted. Breakers! breakers on the starboard bow!” 

Starboard the helm,” cried McAllister, in a deep tone, 
without the slightest sign of agitation. It was doubtful if 
the vessel would feel the effect of the helm sufficiently to 
prevent her drifting bodily to leeward. On we drove. An- 
other moment might see the vessel and all on board hurled 
to destruction. The stoutest vessel ever built could not 
hold together for two minutes should she strike on rock or 
sand-bank with the awful sea then running dashing over 
her. I drew my breath short and clinched my teeth as we 
approached the broken water. The spray flew over our 
mast-heads. Still we did not strike; the dreaded breakers 
appeared abeam. We had passed the head of a bank or 
reef. I saw some rocks and sand with a few trees in the 
distance, probably part of the island, easily discerned under 
ordinary circumstances above water. The danger for the 
moment was past, but there was no doubt that we bad 
reached that portion of the Caribbean Sea most studded 
with danger. Any moment we might again be among 
reefs. All we could do was to look out * ahead, and pray 
and hope that we might escape them, as we had done the 
first. Half an hour or twenty mmutes passed; some tall 
palm-trees amid the misty atmosphere appeared bending 
to the breeze on the larboard bow. It was doubtful whether 
reefs might not run out to the northward, and if so we 
could scarcely escape striking on them. The helm was, 
however, put to port, that we might pass as far as we could 
from the island. McAllister hurried forward, and, taking 
a steady look, declared his conviction that there was a reef 
to the northward of the island, and that if we could get a 
little sail on the schooner, we might run under its lee and 
ride in safety till the tempest was over. The very thought 
of the possibility* of this renewed our spirits. The wind had 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


181 


certainly lessened. Rousing up the Frenchmen to lend a 
hand, we got a main-trysail and fore-staysail hoisted. The 
little craft heeled over as, once more putting the helm to 
starboard, we brought her closer to the wind, m a way which 
made it seem probable that she would never recover her- 
self, but she did, though ; and now we flew on, plunging 
through the seas which broke on our larboard quarter to- 
ward the island. We drove, of course, to leeward very fast, 
but still we had hopes that we mighc round its northern 
end before we drove past it altogether. Everybody on 
board stood clustered on deck, watching the island, and 
ever and anon casting anxious glances at the canvas. It 
stood now, though an hour before it would not have done 
so. We approached the island. 

Breakers! breakers on the starboard bow! breakers on 
the larboard bow!"’"’ shouted the men forward. I caught 
sight of some less broken water ahead. We steered toward 
it. In another moment our fate would be decided. We 
flew on; the sea broke terrifically on either hand, but the 
schooner did not strike. The water became calmer — the 
island grew more and more abeam. We flattened in the can- 
vas, and, standing toward the land, in another ten minutes 
found ourselves in a sheltered bay, where, though our mast- 
heads still felt the force of the gale, the wind scarcely 
reached us on deck. Our anchor was dropped and we rode 
in safety. I could have fallen on my knees and thanked 
Heaven for our merciful preservation from so many dan- 
gers, but such an act was not in accordance with our usual 
habits, and I was kept back from fear of what my com- 
2janions would say. How miserable and contemptible is 
such a feeling! We are not afraid of displeasing our- all- 
beneficent Creator, or appearing ungrateful for His mer- 
cies, and we are afraid of the ridicule of our fellow-men, or 
even of a sneer from the lips of those we despise the most. 
I dare say, if the truth were known, that McAllister, Barn- 
brick, and others felt exactly as I did, and yet we were 
positively afraid of showing our feelings to each other. 
What a contrast did our present position exhibit to the wild 
tossing to and fro, and the strife of elements we had just 
passed through. Here (for the wind dropped rapidly) all 
was calm and quiet; the mist dissipated, the sun shone 
forth, and the blue waters of the bay sparkled as they rip- 
pled gently on the light yellow sand, strewed with number- 


182 THE MIDSHIPMAN. 

less beautifully colored shells; while numerous tall palm- 
trees and shrubs of lower growth formed a bright fringe of 
green round the shores of the bay. 

As we wanted water, and all agreed that some fresh 
cocoa-nuts would be very pleasant, 1 took a boat with four 
hands, two Englishmen and two Frenchmen, and, accom- 
panied by Lieutenant Preville, pulled on shore. I also 
took a fowling-piece, in the hope of getting a shot at some 
birds. There was no lack of cocoa-nuts, which the hurri- 
cane had blown off on the ground, many of the trees them- 
selves being laid prostrate. We had to hunt about some 
time before we found a spring. At length we came on one 
overshadowed by trees, where, hy clearing away the ground 
with our spades, we could fill our casks. I with the two 
Englishmen were still at the spring, when the French lieu- 
tenant and his two countrymen were rolling down a cask 
to the boat. I followed, and when yet at some distance, I 
saw the Frenchman step into the boat and begin shoving 
olf. I ran on, and having some* bullets in my waistcoat 
pocket, I dropped one down the barrel of my fowling- 
piece, which I presented at the lieutenant’s head, ordering 
him to come back. He did not at first pay any attention 
to my threats; I hailed again, and told him that I had 
loaded with a bullet, and that I did not approve of the joke 
he was plapng. I at the same time saw some of the French- 
men on board the schooner making signs to him. Sudden- 
ly, he turned round, as if he had only just seen me, and 
the boat pulled back to the shore. 

Fdemand a thousand pardons, monsieur,” he exclaim- 
ed, with the blandest of smiles. I was only joking, but I am 
afraid from your countenance, that my vivacity carried me 
too far.” He went on for a considerable time in this style, 
till my two men came down with their cask, and then, 
shoving off, we returned on board. I asked McAllister if 
he had observed anything peculiar in the behavior of the 
prisoners while I was on shore. 

I was below for a short time, and when I came on deck 
I found them clustering on the rigging forward,” he an- 
swered carelessly. ‘"I called them down, as it is against 
orders, and they immediately obeyed.” 

I told him of the odd conduct of Lieutenant Preville, 
but he observed that he thought it was only the French- 
man’s joke, though it might be wise to keep a stricter look- 


THE MIDSHIPMAl^. 


183 


out on the prisoners than we had lately done. We had 
little time, however, for, pretty well worn-out with the fa- 
tigues we had endured for the last four-and-twenty hours, 
we were glad to take the opportunity of being in a snug 
harbor to turn in and go to sleep. Before doing so, how- 
ever, I told Bambrick, who had charge of the deck, to di- 
rect the sentry placed over the prisoners to keep his weather 
eye open, lest they should play us any trick. Tops are 
said to sleep soundly; I know from experience that mid- 
shipmen do. From the moment I put my head on the pil- 
low it seemed but a moment that I was roused up to keep 
the morning watch. I found a light breeze blowing from 
the southward. It would not do to lose, this opportunity 
of getting clear out to sea again: so I went down to McAl- 
lister, who soon joined me, and agreed that I was right. 
The anchor was weighed, and under easy sail we ran out 
through the passage by which we had entered this harbor 
of refuge. As I looked on the rocks on either side, now 
showing their dark heads above water, it seemed wonderful 
how, with so terrific a hurricane blowing, we had safely en- 
tered. How often thus through life are we steered safely by a 
merciful Providence, amidst hosts of dangers which we do 
not at the time see, and for protection against which we are 
but too often most miserably unthankful. We were soon 
clear of the island, but it was necessary to keep a very 
bright lookout to avoid running on the reefs which we had 
before escaped. Several times we saw rocks on either hand, 
and breakers still dashing wildly up, showing that reefs or 
banks were there, and more and more astonished were we 
that we had passed between them in safety. Lieutenant 
Preville shrugged his shoulders. 

It would need a good pilot to carry a vessel in safety 
between those reefs as we came yesterday, he observed. 

But, after all, the best pilot is the Goddess Chance, who 
guided us.'’ ^ 

Chance, monsieur! Chance exclaimed McAllister, 
with a vehemence in which he seldom indulged. I do not 
believe that there is such a thing as chance, much less a 
goddess. I am not going to discuss the subject, only don’t 
talk to me of chance.” 

The Frenchman again shrugged his shoulders, hoped 
that he had not given offense, and walked away humming 

tune, He continued, however, as polite and obliging as 


184 


THE TMIDSHTPMAI^. 


at first. He declared that we wanted a good dinner after 
our labors, and insisted on cooking it. He outshone him- 
self, and with some shell-fish we had picked up, and- two 
birds I had shot, produced some wonderfully delicious 
dishes. The wind held fair, but it was light, and it required 
us constantly to be on the lookout to thread our way 
among the dangers which surrounded us. Our anxiety, too, 
was very great for the fate of our consort. She was no- 
wliere to be seen, and our fears were increased that she had 
gone down when first struck by the hurricane. AVe did not 
breathe freely till we were well out at sea, clear of all reefs 
and shoals. Lieutenant Preville especially complimented 
us on the seamanship we had displayed, and assured us 
that it was a great satisfaction to him to have been our 
shipmate through so trying an event. McAllister and I 
now agreed that if we did not fall in with the ^‘^Espoir,-’^ it 
was undoubtedly our duty to return to Jamaica. We ac- 
cordingly cruised about for two days, and then shaped a 
course for that island. The next night it was my middle 
watch on deck. It had struck seven bells, and I was con- 
templating the satisfaction I should feel in turning in and 
going to sleep, when I suddenly found the French lieutenant 
walking by my side. This was against rule, as none of the 
prisoners were allowed to come on deck at night without 
the permission of the officer of the watch. He apologized, 
saying that he was oppressed with the heat, and knew that 
I would allow him to come. In a little time he professed 
to see a light ahead, and induced me to walk forward to 
look at it. Just as I was abreast of the foremast I found 
my arms seized, a gag thrust into my mouth, and a hand- 
kerchief bound over my eyes, so that I could neither strug- 
gle, cry out, nor see what was going forward. The horrible 
conviction came on me that the Frenchmen were attempt- 
ing to recapture the vessel. I hoped that McAllister might 
be awake’^as he was so soon to relieve me. The suspense, 
however, was terrible. I found myself secured to the bul- 
warks, and left to my cogitations. I argued the worst be- 
cause there was no cry; no shots fired. There I sat, it 
seemed an age, listening for some sounds. I was almost 
sure that the Frenchmen had mastered all our people on 
deck, even Hed Bambrick. At length I heard one French 
seaman speaking; he was making a report to Lieutenant 
Breville, A loud cheer was the response^, Vive 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


185 


vive la France I knew full well by this, that they were 
in entire possession of the vessel. My heart sunk within 
me. It was bad enough to loose our prize; it would be 
worse to be thrown overboard, or to have our throats cut. 
I did not, however, think that the Frenchmen would, do 
that. They would take very good care, though, that we 
did not regain the vessel. Such being the case, I really felt 
almost indifferent as to what became of us. After all the 
civility we had shown Lieutenant Preville, I thought that 
he might as well have released me from my uncomfortable 
position, with my arms lashed tightly behind me, and a 
gag in my mouth. I heard some orders issued in French, 
and the blocks rattling, and yards creaking, as if the sails 
were being trimmed, and the schooner^s course altered. 
Hour after hour passed by, at last I fell asleep with a crick 
in my neck, and the sound of a Frenchman’s voice in my 
ear. 

0 pauvre miser aUe said the voice; ^^why, we for- 
got him.” . 

Such was the fact, not very complimentary to my im- 
portance. I had been overlooked. The speaker took the 
handkerchief off my eyes. It was daylight, and the schooner 
was running under all sail before a fair breeze. 

Lieutenant Preville soon appeared, and, telling the men 
to cast me loose, invited me, in a tone of irony, I fancied, 
to join my brother officer at breakfast with him. 

Poor McAllister looked dreadfully cast down. We took 
our seats in silence. Our host, who had yesterday been our 
guest, was in high spirits. 

^^It is the fortune of war, you well know. Monsieur 
Merry,” he observed, with a provoking smile. Brave 
gardens like you know how to bear such reverses with equa- 
nimity. I can feel for you, though, believe me. Monsieur 
McAllister, I drink to your health, though I fear that you 
will not be a lieutenant as soon as you expected. Here, 
take some of this claret, it will revive your spirits. ” 

My messmate seized the decanter of wine, which it is the 
custom of the French to have on the table at breakfast, 
and drank off a large tumbler. He drew a long breath 
after he had done so. 

You have the advantage of us this time undoubtedly. 
Monsieur Preville,” he exclaimed bitterly; but a day will 
come when we shall meet together on equal terms, and 


THK MlDSHlP^rAK. 


i8r> 

then, I hope, as brave men we shall fight it out to the 
death/' 

ith pleasure, assuredly," answered the Frenchman, 
with the politest of hows and smiles. But in the mean- 
time you must endeavor to restrain your impetuosity. At 
present it would be impossible to give you the satisfaction 
you require." 

Poor McAllister ground his teeth; the words were taunt- 
ing, but the expression of the Frenchman's countenance 
w^as more so. He would have sprung up and fought with 
him then and there, with carving-knives or any weapons at 
hand; but he restrained himself for a good reason. The 
lieutenant had a brace of pistols by his side, on the table, 
and two seamen stood on either side of us with loaded mus- 
kets, ready to blow out our brains, had we exhibited any 
signs of insubordination. McAllister went on eating his 
breakfast in silence. 

The lieutenant pointed to the men and to his pistols. 

These are to do you honor," he observed. They are 
the greatest compliment we can pay to your bravery. Un- 
less you were handcuffed, I should not think myself safe a 
moment. " 

We did not treat you so," I remarked. 

No, my friend," he replied, smiling; but you are 
prisonei’s, and I have regained command of my schooner." 

I had not a Avord to say, but I resolved to profit by the 
lesson in my future career. 

We were not allowed to communicate with any of our 
men, who were kept under strict Avatch forward, and only 
permitted to come on deck one at a time, in charge of a 
sentry. McAllister and I even had no opportunity of com- 
municating with each other. When we went on deck, an 
armed man walked up and doAvn by our side, and Avhen we 
approached the compass, Ave were ordered away, so that we 
could not tell what course Ave were steering, except by guess- 
ing from the position of the sun. 

Of course, Avith all the care the Frenchmen took, we had 
very little hopes of being able to retake the schooner. 
Neither could we tell what was to be done with us, nor did 
Lieutenant Preville think fit to inform us. After all our 
anticipations of prize money and pleasure on shore, to have 
the inside of a French prison alone in vieAV, Avas very gall- 
ing to our feelings. McAllister could do nothing but 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


187 


mourn his hard fate, and mutter threatenings against 
France and Frenchmen should he ever regain his liberty. 
Our only hope was that one of our own cruisers might fall in 
with the ^^Audacieiise,^^and that we mighrthusbe set at lib- 
erty. Consequently, whenever we were on deck we scan- 
ned the horizon anxiously, resolved, if we caught sight of 
a sail, not to give the Frenchmen too early a notice of the 
fact. At last one day we lay becalmed while a thick mist 
had settled down over the ocean. I began to fear that we 
were going to have another hurricane. The Frenchmen 
did not think so, but took things very easily. The look- 
out came down from aloft, and, except the man who was 
placed as sentry over us, all hands employed themselves in 
mending their clothes and in other similar occupations. 
The man at the helm stood leaning on the tiller, lazily 
watching his companion. Suddenly to the westward I saw 
the mist lift, and, directly under the canopy thus formed, 
I distinctly saw a large ship standing down under all sail 
toward us. I was afraid by word or sign to point her out 
to McAllister, and dreaded lest the expression of my coun- 
tenance might draw the attention of any of the crew toward 
her. She could not fail to pass close to us if she continued 
on the course she was steering. I only hoped that the mist 
(Would lift again, in time to show the Audacieuse ” to 
those on board her. The mist seemed much to my satis- 
faction to be settling down again, when at that instant 
Lieutenant Preville came on deck. His quick eye instantly 
detected the stranger. Having uttered some forcible ex- 
pletives as to his opinion of his crowds conduct in not keep- 
ing a better lookout, ho ordered the sails to be trimmed, 
and every stitch of canvas the schooner could carry to be 
set in readiness for the coming breeze. McAllister^s and 
my eagerness maybe easily conceived. We both had an 
idea that the ship was English, and that she would bring 
up the breeze. What was our disappointment, then, when 
we saw the schooner^s sails filling out. Away she glided 
before the breeze. The mist soon afterward entirely cleared 
away, and exMfcited the stranger about two miles off. By 
her build and the cut of her sails she was English. When 
she saw us, all sail was made onboard her; but the Auda- 
cieuse had a fast pair of heels, and it was soon evident 
that she was leaving her pursuer far astern. Our hopes 
sunk* and sunk, and by nightfall we had run her out of 


188 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


sight. When morning returned the stranger was nowhere 
to be seen. 

Tour days tlyjs passed by. They were far from agree- 
able ones. Early on the sixth we found a substantial break- 
fast on the table, and after we had partaken of it with a 
suspicion that it was to be our last on board, we wei’e or- 
dered on deck. Here we found the schooner hove to, and 
all our people assembled, while alongside lay one of the 
schooner’s boats, with oars and masts and sails, a water 
cask, and some hampers and cases of provisions. There 
was a tarpaulin, and the boat was fitted in other respects 
as far as she could be to perform a long voyage. 

There, my friends,” observed the lieutenant; wish 
to part with you on friendly terms. T do not desire to keep 
you as prisoners, as I am bound on a long cruise, and I 
hope that you may regain your own ship in safety. I will 
give you your course for Jamaica, which you may reach in 
a week; farewell.” 

We had not a word to say against this arrangement, so, 
thanking the Frenchman for ms courtesy, we followed our 
men, who had before been ordered into the boats. Even 
McAllister could not help putting out his hand and ex- 
claiming, You are brave, as are most Frenchmen, but 
you are honest and kind-hearted, and that is more than'I, 
for one, will say of some of your countrymen. ” 

The lieutenant shrugged his shoulders and laughed as he 
shook our hands. He was in high good spirits, as well he 
might be. We stepped into the boat, and he waved his 
hand; we shoved off, and bowing as politely as we could 
force ourselves to do, we hoisted our sails and shaped our 
course for Jamaica. The Audacieuse ” filled, and then, 
hauling her wind, stood away to the eastward. 


CHAPTER XII. 

It was satisfactory to be once more at liberty, but a voy- 
age in an open boat across the Caribbean Sea, when it was 
possible that we might have to encounter another hurri- 
cane, was not altogether an exploit we should have under- 
taken if we had h^ our choice. However, as we had plenty 
of provisions and enough water, we had no reason to com- 
plain. We found, indeed, on looking over our stores to 


THE MIDSHIPMAK. 


189 


select some food for our dinner, that there were a dozen of 
claret and six bottles of brandy. 

Really, that fellow Preville is a trump,^’ I exclaimed, 
as I poured out a glass of the former, and handed it -to 
McAllister. We^ll drink his health, for he deserves it. 
Come, rouse up, my boy. It^s good liquor; you^ll not deny 
that. 

1^11 drink his health and long life to him, that we may 
have a better chance of meeting together in mortal com.- 
bat,’^ answered my messmate, gloomily. ‘^To have our 
hard-won prize stolen out of our hands in this way — it’s 
more than I can bear. And to have to make our appearance 
on board the frigate without our vessel, and to report the 
loss of poor Perigal and the others, is even worse. ” 

I did my best to rouse up McAllister, and to make him 
see matters in a more cheerful light, but it was no easy 
matter. He was ever dwelling on the fact that the prize 
had been placed under his charge, and that he had lost her. 
I was sometimes almost afraid that, if not watched at night, 
he would be jumping overboard, so gloomy did he become. 
Bambrick entertained the same idea also, I suspected, and 
I was glad to see that he watched hini narrowly. We also 
did our best to amuse him, and I got the men to sing songs 
and spin yarns from morning till night. Only one story 
told by Ned Bambrick seemed to aifford him much amuse- 
ment. 

You must know, sir, when I was paid off during the 
last peace, I joined a South Sea whaler. You’ve heard tell 
of Botany Bay. Well, that’s nowhere, or that’s to say, it 
is not the place where they send prisoners. But there’s a 
fine harbor near it, which they call Port Jackson, and up it 
there’s a town which they call the Camp, but which has 
now got the name of Sydney. It’s what they call a colony; 
that’s to say, a good number of people of all sorts, besides 
convicts goes out there, and they’ve a governor set over 
them, who rules the land just like any king. He’s a right, 
real sort of a governor, to my mind, for he makes laws and 
sees that they are obeyed too. He won’t stand no nonsense, 
and though he doesn’t wear a wig and gown, like the judges 
at home, he sits in a court and tries all them who doesn’t 
do what they ought. He hears both parties, and when 
they’ve done, he sings out, ^ Haul in the slack of your jaw- 
tackle, and belay all that,’ and then he goes for to say what 


190 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


eacli party must do, and he won't hear a word more from 
either of them. Well, as I was saying, I joined a South 
Sea whaler. I can't say as how I had a pleasant time 
ajboard, but it was better than others had. Our captain was 
one of them chaps as always does what they choose, and he 
pretty often chose to do what was very bad. He had a 
quarrel with the doctor of the ship, who was a very decent, 
well-behaved young man, and not wanting in spirit. Their 
disputes went on from bad to worse, so what does he do one 
day, but call four or five hands aft, fellows always ready to 
do any dirty work for- a glass of grog, and getting hold of 
the poor doctor, clap him into one of the hen-coops. ^ ow,' 
says he, ^ you'll stay there till you beg my pardon.' ^I'll 
never beg your pardon,' says the doctor. ^ I'll see if I can't 
make you,' says the captain. Well, would you believe it? 
the captain kept the poor doctor in there day after day, 
and always took his meals to him himself, cut up into little 
bits, so that he could eat them with a spoon. When he 
put in the plate, he always used to sing out, ‘ Coopity ! 
coopity! coopity!' just as he would have done if he was feed- 
ing the fowls. It aggravated the poor doctor, but he couldn't 
help himself. No one dared speak to the captain, who al- 
ways walked about with a brace of pistols in his belt, and 
swore he'd shoot any one who interfered with him. You 
may be sure I and others felt for the doctor when the sav- 
age used to go to him, with a grin on his face, and sing out, 
'Coopity! coopity! coopity!' The doctor would have been 
starved if he hadn't taken the food when the captain 
brought it him, with his ' Coopity! coopity! coopity!' 

" At last, one day, the doctor wouldn't stand it any 
longer; so says he, ' If you don't let me out of this. I'll 
make you sing out " Coopity, coopity " from the other side 
of your mouth; bo look out.' The captain laughed at him, 
and went on as before. However, he had to put into Port 
Jackson to refit, and it came to ihe ears of the governor 
that our skipper had a man shut up in a hen-coop; so he 
sent some soldiers aboard, and had the doctor taken out 
and brought ashore. Then there was a regular trial, and 
the governor heard what the doctor had to say, and the 
skipper and we hid to say, and then he says, ' I decide that 
you. Captain Crowfoot, shall pay Dr. McGrath two hundred 
golden guineas before you leave this court. ' The captain, 
with many wry faces, began to make all sorts of excuses. 


THE MIHSHIPMAK. 


191 


but the governor wonldn^t listen to one of them, and Cap- 
tain Crowfoot had to get a merchant to hand him out two 
bags of guineas. ^ Count them, captain, count them,^says 
the governor; and as the skipper counted them out on the 
table, the doctor stood by with another bag, and as he swept 
them in with his hand, he kept singing out Coopity, 
coopity, coopity.^ Keally it was pleasant to hear the doc- 
tor go on with his ^coopity, coopity, coopity.' Everybody 
in the court laughed, and, I believe you, the skipper was 
glad enough to get away when he had counted out all his 
money, and there was a regular cheer of ^Coopity, coopity, 
coopity,' as he rushed out of the court." I had not seen 
McAllister laugh since we had lost the prize. He now gave 
way to a hearty* peal, exclaiming, Ha! ha! ha! I'll make 
the French lieutenant sing out Coopity, coopity, coopity,' 
before the world is many years older. " 

I need not describe all that occurred in the boat. We 
made fair way while the wind continued fair, and the 
weather favorable, but Jamaica still seemed a long distance 
off. It is a large island, however, so that there was not 
much chance of our missing it. Four days had passed since 
we left the Audacieuse," when about midnight the wind 
suddenly shifted to the noTthivard, and what was worse, it 
came on to blow very hard. We Closely reefed our sail, 
and hove to,. but the seas constantly broke over us, and we 
were obliged to keep two hands l;)ailing, or we should have 
been swamped. It was bad enough as it was, but it might 
come to worse, and then, would the boat swim? That was 
a question. That was a dreary night. The rain came 
down too — as it knows w’ell how to do in the tropics. We had 
no want of water, but we unwisely neglected to fill our 
casks. Expecting to make a quick run, we had not stinted 
ourselves in the use of water. Of course the boat all this 
time was drifting to leeward, and we were losing all the 
distance we had made good during the last day or so; if 
the gale continued, we should lose still more. At last day- 
light came, but the wind blew as hard as ever — half a gale 
at all events. Two whole days more it blew. At last it 
ceased, but it left us a hundred miles nearly further from 
our destination than when it commenced. This was bad 
enough, but though there w^as little of it remaining, that 
little was in our teeth. We, however, hauled our wind, 
and tried to beat up. When the sea went down we got 


19 ^ 


THE HIDSHTPMAK. 


tlie oars out, and lowering the sails, pulled head to wind. 
It was greatly trying to the men, to know that, after toil- 
ing away for hours, the entire distance gained might be 
lost in a quarter of the time. Still, as British seamen 
always do, they persevered. McAUister and I took our 
turns at the oars with the rest. For several days we labor- 
ed thus. The prospect of a quick run to Jamaica was 
over. Our provisions were running short — our water was 
almost expended. Hunger and thirst began to stare us in 
the face — things apt not only to stare people out of coun- 
tenance, but out of their good looks. We at once went 
on shorter allowance, which grew shorter and shorter. 

As we gazed on each other^s faces, we saw how haggard 
our shipmates had become, each person scarcely aware of 
his own emaciated appearance. At last we had not a drop 
of water remaining. J amaica might still be a week^s sail 
off, under favorable circumstances. The thirst we now 
endured was far worse than hunger, in that climate, with 
a hot sun burning down on our heads all day. Our throats 
got hotter and more parched every hour; we drew in our 
belts, and that silenced the cravings of hunger for a time, 
and we had some few bits of biscuit, and ham, and choco- 
late, but nothing we could do could allay our thirst. We 
dipped our faces in water, and kept applying our wet hand- 
kerchiefs to our mouths and eyes. We got most relief 
from breathing through our wet handkerchiefs; but it was 
only transient; the fever within burned as fiercely as ever. 
We had to work at the oars, when we could not keep our 
handkerchiefs wet. McAllister, like a brave fellow as he 
was, aroused himself, and endeavored to encourage us to 
persevere. He especially warned the men against drinking 
salt water, telling them that it would be downright suicide, 
and that they might as well jump overboard and be drowned 
at once. We were certainly making way, every hour less- 
ening our distance to Jamaica. Again our hopes were 
raised. We had a few scraps of food to support life for two 
days more; but it was the water we wanted. I felt that I 
could not hold out another twenty-four hours. I must have 
water or die. The wind, however, came fair; we made sail, 
and run merrily over the water — at least the boat did. Our 
feelings were heavy enough. Still I must say that we did 
our best to keep up each other’s courage. Again the wind 
fell. It shifted. We might be driven back, and lose all 


THE MIDSHIPMAK-. 


103 


the way we had gained. Dark clouds gathered — the feel- 
ings of the air changed. Get the sail spread out flat, and 
the buckets and cask, and mugs ready, boys,^^ cried McAl- 
lister. Open your mouths.^'’ 

Scarcely had he spoken when down came the rain. Oh, 
how delicious were the cool streams which flowed down our 
parched throats, and washed the salt from our faces! As 
the sail caught it, we let it run off into the receptacles we 
had prepared. Mugful after mugful we drained. We fill- 
ed our cask and buckets. The rain ceased Just as we had 
done so, and then it fell a dead calm. But we all felt re- 
freshed and invigorated. New life seemed put hito us, and 
the dry morsels of biscuit and ham which we before could 
not swallow, were eaten with a relish. This deliverance 
from immediate death gave us hope; but still we might 
have again to encounter all the difficulties we had before 
gone through, before reaching land. Could we possibly 
survive them? I had often read of similar adventures and 
sufferings, and had been so much interested and amused, 
that I had felt considerably obliged to those who had gone 
through them, and really felt that I should like to have 
been with them; but I found the reality very different in- 
deed. The terrible reality was presented to me with the 
gilding off — the romance vanished. My great wish was to 
escape from my present position. I have no doubt that all 
my companions felt with me. 

The oars were again got out, and slowly we pulled to the 
northward. It was soon evident, however, that our strength 
was totally unequal to the task. One after the other the 
oars dropped from the feeble men^s grasp. It was terrible 
to see strong men thus reduced to weakness. The calm 
continued. Even I began to despair. A dizziness came 
over me. I was nearly sinking to the bottom of the boat, 
but I resisted the impulse by a strong effort. 111 not 
give in while life and sense remain. ” I fancied that I felt 
a puff of air on my cheek. I wetted my finger and held it 
up. There was no doubt about it. A breeze was coming 
from the southward. I stood up as well as I was able, and 
looked astern for the expected blue line in the horizon. My 
heart leaped within me when my eye fell on the white sails 
of a vessel coming fast up with us. I shouted out the joy- 
ous news. My companions lifted up their heads, some 
scarcely understanding what I said. SicAllister, who had 


194 


THE HIDSHIPMAH. 


been asleep, started up, and, with his hand oyer his eyes, 
gazed anxiously at the stranger. Bambrick, with a strength 
which surprised me, leaped upon the thwart, holding on by 
the mast, and after looking for some time, he exclaimed. 

She’s the ^ Espoir.’ as sure as my name is Ned Bam- 
brick.” 

The ^ Espoir ’ went down in the hurricane, and this 
craft is only some phantom come to delude and mock us,” 
muttered McAllister, gloomily. 

^ ^ Nonsense ! you don’t believe in such stuff, ” I exclaimed. 

If yonder craft is the ^ Espoir,’ it’s plain the ^ Espoir ’ did 
not go down in the hurricane, and if the Espoir ’ did go 
down in the hurricane, it is equally plain that the vessel in 
sight is not she.” 

No, no, yonder craft is but a mocking phantom. I’m 
destined never to see my bonnie home and fair Scotland 
again,” he answered, in a low voice, speaking more to him- 
self than to me. 

There was no use then contradicting him. Half an hour 
or less would, I hoped, show that the stranger astern was 
a real palpable vessel, with human beings on board, who 
would relieve our distress, and no phantom craft. Poor 
McAllister sunk down in the stern-sheets again through 
weakness, but continued to gaze at the stranger, as w^e all 
did, with our eyeballs almost starting, in our eagerness, 
from their sockets. 

The stranger proved to be a schooner; and, as she ap- 
proached, she appeared to be more and more like the 
‘'^Espoir.” There was at length no doubt about it, but 
McAllister still shook his head, muttering, A phantom — 
a phantom — but very like the craft — there’s no doubt about 
that. ” I do not know what he might have thought when 
the schooner shortened sail, and glided up slowly alongside 
our boat. There were Perigal, and Gray, and Macquoid, 
and Bobus, and others, looking at us over the bulwarks. 
They must have known us by our uniforms to be English, 
but they had no idea we w^ere their own shipmates. I 
guessed this by hearing Macquoid say to Bobus: 

Who can they be? Some poor fellows whose vessel must 
have gone down in the hurricane. ” 

Hand them up carefully, now,” said Perigal to the men 
who descended into the boat. 

We were all soon lifted on deck, for we w^ere utterly un- 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


195 


able to help ourselves, and we had positively to say who we 
were before we were recognized. 

The foremost to rush forward and w^elcome me was Toby 
Bluff; and, forgetful of all the proprieties of the quarter- 
deck, he was very nearly throwing his arms round me and 
giving me a hearty hug, so overcome was he with joy at 
having the young squire restored to him. 

Oh! Measter Merry, they will be main glad at the Hall 
when they learns that after all you didn’t go down in that 
mighty terrible hurricane we had t’other day,” he ex- 
claimed. I’d never have gone back to see them — that I 
wouldn’t — I could never have faced them without the young 
measter!” 

Warm and sincere, indeed, were the congratulations of 
all our friends. Macquoid at once took charge of us — or- 
dered us all into our hammocks, and would not allow us to 
swallow more than the most moderate quantity of food, nor 
to Listen nor talk. Owing to his judicious management, 
we all speedily got round, with the exception of McAllister, 
who had been the last to give in. His spirit and moral 
courage had supported him, till at length his physical pow- 
ers yielded to his sufferings. 

We carried on the breeze till we sighted Jamaica. Of 
course Perigal was very much vexed at hearing of the loss 
of the prize, but he did not blame McAllister, though, as 
he observed, it would have been wiser had we not placed so 
much confidence in our agreeable and plausible prisoner. 
The ^^Espoir” had lost sight of us in the hurricane from 
the first, and apprehensions for our safety had till now been 
entertained, and so our friends looked upon us as happily 
restored to them frqm the dead, and were not inclined" to 
find undue fault witn us. We fomid that they had been 
placed in even greater danger than we had, and had suf- 
fered more damage, but finally they were enabled to take 
shelter under an island more to the south than the one we 
gained. Here they remained for some time to refit, and 
thus were brought to our rescue just in time to preserve us 
from destruction. We were all tolerably recovered and pre- 
sentable by the time we entered Port Eoyal harbor. Here 
we found the frigate almost ready for sea, and, to our satis- 
faction, Spellman with our first prize had arrived safely. 
Among those who most cordially welcomed me was Mr. 
Johnson, the boatswain. 


196 


JHE 3IIDSHIPMAN. 


felt that hurricane even here, Mr. Merry; and 
thinking you might feel it too, I was anything but happy 
about you,'Mie observed, shaking me by the hand. "‘I 
was once out in just such another — only it blew a precious 
deal harder. Some of our hands had their pigtails carried 
away, and two or three fellows who kept their mouths open 
had their teeth blown down their throats. It was the gale 
when the ^ Thunderer ^ and so many other of his majesty^s 
ships went down. You\e heard of it, I dare say?’^ 

I told him that I had read about it in a naval history we 
had on board, but that the account of the pigtails and teeth 
was not given. 

^^No, I dare say not; historians seldom enter as they 
ought into particulars,^^ he answered, laughing. 

Gray received an equally friendly welcome from Mr. 
Johnson, with whom he was as great u favorite as I was. 
lie made us give him an account of all our adventures, and 
amused himself with quizzing me, without ceasing, at hav- 
ing been so tricked by the French lieutenant. I believed, 
and do to this day, that Preville was civil and light-hearted 
from nature, and that it was only when he found us off 
our guard that the idea of seizing the vessel occurred to 
him. 

McAllister did not get off as easily as I did. Wherever 
he went he was quizzed for having been tricked by the 
Frenchman and losing his prize. He unfortunately could 
not stand quizzing, and taking what was said too seriously, 
he became at times quite sulky and morose. 

As the Doris had no hands to spare, the tender was 
laid up, and once more the frigate put to sea in search of 
the enemies of our country. We knew that several of their 
frigates were at sea, and we hoped to fall in with one of 
them. If we missed them, we were not likely to object to 
pick up a few rich merchantmen. 

Soon after I rejoined I was invited to the gun-room to 
give an account of my adventures on board the Auda- 
cieuse. Thinking he was going to be quizzed, McAllister 
would not say a word on the subject. I was not so par- 
ticular, and amused the officers very much with an account 
of the way in which the polite lieutenant used to dress our 
dinners foi' us, and used to sing and play for our amuse- 
ment. ^Ir. Fitzgerald seemed highly entertained. 

He. must be a broth of a boy, indeed I If we ever 


THE MIDSHIPHAl^. 197 

catch him, we^ll make him dress our dinners/^ he exclaimed, 
laughing. 

He was himself stranger than ever, and, with his curi- 
ous performances, I used to wonder how he managed not 
to get into more scrapes than he did. Our captain was 
much of the same opinion, for I heard him remark that he 
really was glad to get to sea, for fear Mr. Fitzgei-ald should 
do something to bring himself into difficulty on shore. The 
words were reported to Mr. Fitzgerald, who remarked — 

^‘Och! where there’s a will there’s a way. We’ll see 
what we can do, even out here in the big salt sea!” 

Not long after this, during a light breeze, we chased a 
vessel to the southward. We came up with her hand over 
hand. When, however, we were five miles off, it fell a 
dead calm. What she was we could not ascertain, though 
she did not look like an armed vessel. It Avas necessary to 
overhaul her, so Mr. Fitzgerald volunteered to take the gig 
and six hands to board her, and Gray and I got leave to 
accompany him. We had a hot pull, the sun coming down 
full on our heads; and as we had come away without any 
water, the men were anxious to get on board the stranger, 
that they might quench their thirst. She was rigged as a 
bark, and she proved as we guessed: she was a Yankee, and 
a neutral. Though undoubtedly laden with stores for our 
enemies we could not touch her. Her skipper Avas very 
civil, and invited us into the cabin, Avhere a fine display of 
decanters and tumblers gave promise of good cheer, in 
which we Avere not disappointed. Mr. Fitzgerald Avas soon 
deep in the mysteries of cocktail and similar mixtures. He 
seemed to enjoy them amazingly, for he .quaffed tumbler 
after tumbler, till I began to fear that he Avas getting rather 
too deep into the subject. Gray and I took our share, but 
we both of us Avere from inclination very temperate. Inde- 
pendent of other considerations, I have always held that a 
splitting headache, and the risk of getting into trouble, 
Avas a high price to pay for the pleasure of tickling one s 
palate, or artificially raising one’s spirits for a short time. 
The men were hospitably entertained forAvard, one or tAvo 
of them finding old messmates; indeed American vessels at 
that period were manned principally with English seamen. 
We remained on board altogether much longer than Ave 
ought to have done, but at last Mr. Fitzgerald, looking at 
his watch, jumped up, exclaiming that he must be off. We 


198 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


thanked the skipperior his civility, and, not without diffi- 
culty, getting the men into the boat, away we pulled toward 
the frigate. The men vvere all high in praise of the 
Yankees, and I have no doubt that they were all put up to 
run from the ship at the first American port at which they 
might touch. 

The calm still continued, and from the lazy way in which 
the men pulled, it was clear that they were in no hurry to 
get on board. Gray and I, of course, were not; indeed Mr. 
Fitzgerald, who was in great spirits, kept us highly amused 
by his stories, so full of racy humor. Our movements were, 
however, considerably expedited by the report of a gun 
from the frigate, as a signal for us immediately to return. 
The men now bent to their oars, and gave way in earnest. 
We had not pulled far, however, when another puff of 
smoke was seen to burst forth from the frigate^s side, fol- 
lowed by the report of the gun, which came booming over 
tlie smooth ocean. 

^^Och! the skippeFs ill a mighty hurry, muttered the 
lieutenant to himself. We are making all the haste flesh 
and blood is capable of, with the sun broiling up our mar- 
row at this rate. ” 

Give way, lads, give way,^Mie shouted aloud. ^^The 
captain is in a hurry, for there^’s something in the wind, 
depend on that. 

We were, I suspect, so completely in a position under the 
sun, as observed from the frigate, that we could not be 
seen. Presently the report of another gun struck our ears. 
On this Mr. Fitzgerald seemed to lose all patience. 

Hand me an oar and a boat-hook,” he exclaimed, and 
some rope-yarn. ” 

What was our surprise to see him strip off his trousers, 
and make the waistband fast to the boat-hook, which he se- 
cured for a yard across the blade of an oar stepped upright 
as a mast. Having secured some pieces of rope-yarn to the 
legs of his unmentionables, he stood up, and began blowing 
away with might and main into the upper portions, stop- 
ping every now and then to gain breath, and to shout. 

Give wa}^, lads, with a will— give way like troopers— give 
way, ye hardy sons of Yeptune, or of sea-cooks, if you prefer 
the appellation. Give way like Tritons. We are doing all 
that men can do. Who dare say we can do more? But we 
must not sto}) to talk. ” Then once more filling out his 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


199 


cheeks, he began to bow and puff with might and main as 
before. 

Gray and I, though not a little shocked, were convulsed 
with laughter; so of course were the men, whose counte- 
nances, as they bent to their oars, were wreathed in the 
broadest of broad grins, while shouts of scarce suppressed 
laughter burst ever and anon from their throats. ' 

Faith, the captain caiFt say iFs my fault if we don^’t 
get aboard in time. I\e done all that any officer in his 
majesty^s service could do to expedite matters, at all 
events, he observed at length, stopping to draw breath. 

And more than most officers would dream of doing, 
Mr. Fitzgerald,^^ I answered, (piietly, really fearing that he 
had gone mad. 

Och, yes, I was always celebrated for my zeal,^^ he an- 
swered. There^s nothing like zeal, Mr. Merry. When 
my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty think fit to pro- 
mote one of their own nephews over the heads of any lot 
of us poor fellows who don^t happen to have any interest in 
high quarters, it^s always on account of zeal — they are such 
very zealous and promising young men. They doiiT say 
what they promise. I could never learn that. I once 
posed the First Lord by simply asking the question. I went 
up just to ask for my promotion — for there'^s nothing like 
asking, you know, youngsters. The First Lord received 
me with wonderful civility. He took me for another Fitz- 
gerald, and I was fool enough to tell him which I really 
was, or I believe he would have handed me out my commis- 
sion and appointment to a fine brig I had in my eye there 
and then. I saw by his change of countenance that I had 
made a mistake, and, as I was in for it, I determined not 
to be abashed. With the blandest of smiles he remarked, 

^ Undoubtedly, Mr. Fitzgerald, I will keep you in sight, 
but I have on my list so many zealous and promising young 
officers, that I fear you will have some time to wait.^ His 
cold eye told me hekl do nothing for me, so says I, ‘ My 
lord, I should just like to have an example of this zeal, 
that I may learn to imitate it; but as to promises, faith, my 
lord, I should like to see any man who can beat me at 
making them.^ I put on a face as I spoke, and he could iTt 
help laughing, but he told me, when I made my bow, that 
I might be sure he wouldnT forget me. Whether lie lias 
or not, I canT say; but here am I, a descendant of Brian 


200 


THE MIDSHIPMAN". 


Boroo, and I don'^fc knowhow many kings and queens of 
onld Ireland besides, nothing but a humble lieutenant, 
standing with my breeches off, and endeavoring to fill this 
epitome of a boat^s sail with all, the wind in my mortal 
body. I must stop talking, though, youngsters; it^s setting 
you a bad example, and he began to puff away again. 

We were now drawing so near the frigate that I felt sure, 
that if any glasses were turned toward us, his extraordinary 
condition could be seen. I was anxious to prevent his get- 
ting into disgrace, so I asked: 

Wouldn^t it be better, sir, if you w^ould put on your 
breeches, and let the men pull uj), alongside in proper 
style 

What, youngster, and lose this magnificent opportunity 
of exhibiting my zeal?^’ he exclaimed, indignantly. I shall 
request the captain to write an official letter to the Ad- 
miral ity, that a proper record may be made of it.” 

But Gray and I wdll bear witness to the truth of your 
statement, if you think fit, to-morrow, to make a report of 
the proceeding,” I observed. You must allow, sir, that 
officers do not generally come alongside a ship with their 
breeches off, though of course it is very laudable to make 
use of them as a boat^s sail, or in any other way, for the 
good of the service; but, if you have any enemies, a wrong 
construction may be put on the matter.” 

lie did not appear to be listening to what I was saying, 
but continued puffing out liis cheeks and blowing as before’ 
As I was steering, I told Gray to look through the telescope 
we had with us at the ship. 

^^Isee several glasses turned this way,” he answered, 
^^and there are numbers of men iji the rigging.” 

I made no remark, but Mr. Fitzgerald soon afterward 
lowered the oar, and, without saying anything, quietly put 
on his breeches. We were soon alongside; the boat was 
hoisted in, and a light breeze having sprung up, which had 
long been seen coming, all sail was made in chase of a 
vessel to the eastward. 

Mr. Fitzgerald then made his report. 

You seemed to be carrying some sail,” observed the 
captain. You had but little wind, though, to make it of 
use. ” 

There was all the wind I could make,” blurted out the 
lieutenant, who had now got sober, and was as much 


THE HIDSHIPMAH. 


201 


ashamed of himself as it was in his nature to he. How- 
ever, Captain Oollyer, you know my zeal for the service, 
and there isn^t a thing I wouldn^t do for its good. 

Even to making use of your breeches as a sail, and 
compelling your mouth to do duty as ^olus,"^ said the cap- 
tain, gravely. However, Mr. Fitzgerald, though I never 
like making mountains of molehills, don^t let j^our zeal, or 
your love of a joke, carry you so far again. Discipline 
would quickly vanish if the officers were to forget their 
dignity, as you did just now. ISTo officer should ever appear 
in public without his breeches. ” 

1^11 make a note of that. Captain Collyer> and take care 
that it never again occurs, answered Mr. Fitzgerald, with 
inimitable gravity, but with an expression in his comical 
features which made our good-natured skipper almost burst 
into a fit of laughter. 

Two or three nights after this, while it was Mr. Fitz- 
gerald^s watch, in which I was placed, it being very dark, 
the frigate, without any warning, was struck by a heavy 
squall, which threw her in an instant on her beam ends. I 
thought that she was going down. There was a loud crash 
— the fore-topmast had gone over the side. Lightning 
flashed from the sky; the thunder roared. A loud clap was 
heard overhead — the main-topsail had split, and, rent in 
fragments, was carried out of the bolt-ropes, lashing itself 
in fury round the yard. All seemed confusion. Every- 
body on the first crash had rushed on deck, mostly in very 
scanty costume. The captain had slipped on his coat, 
which, with his shirt and slippers, formed his costume. 
There he stood, his shirt tails fluttering in the breeze, 
wliile with his deep-toned voiced he was bringing order 
out of seeming chaos. When the main-topsail went 
the frigate righted. We had work enough to do to 
clear the wreck of the fore-topmast and all its hamper, 
and it was broad daylight before the captain could leave 
the deck. When the ship was put a little to rights, and 
those officers who had appeared in limited costume had 
gone below to don the usual amount of dress, Mr. Fitz- 
gerald walked up to Mr. Bryan, the first lieutenant, and 
said : 

I wish, Bryan, that you would ascertain what are and 
what are not the regulations of this ship. Two days ago 
the captain told me that it was against his express orders 


202 


THE MIDSHIPMAJs'. 


that any officers should appear on the quarter-deck without 
their breeches, and now he appears himself without his, 
and so do Haisleden and the master, and some other fel- 
lows besides/^ 

There are some occasions when it does not do to stick 
at trifles," answered Mr. Bryan, who found it very necessary 
to humor his eccentric brother officer. 

Well, at all events, the captain can not find fault with 
me after that," said the second lieutenant; I am alwa3^s 
saying the same — I never stick at trifles. " 

Ko, indeed you do not; but sometimes it is just as well 
to look at them, and ascertain if they are trifles," observed 
Mr. Bryan. 

It was found that the frigate had received so much dam- 
age that it was necessary to put back to Port Koyal. It was 
a matter of very little consequence to us midshipmen. We 
were chiefly interested because we knew that we should get 
a supply of fresh meat and vegetables, which we preferred 
to the salt pork and weevily biscuits served out to the navy 
in those days, and for very many days later; indeed, where 
is the naval officer, under the rank of a commander, or I 
may say a lieutenant, who does not tap every bit of biscuit 
on the table before he puts it into his mouth? He taps me- 
chanically now, but he learned the habit when it was neces- 
sary to knock out the weevils. 

We soon had the ship as much to rights as circumstances 
would allow. In the evening Gray and I went below, and 
found the boatswain seated on a stool in his cabin, with his 
legs stretched out at full length before him, resting after 
the fatigues of the day. 

Ah, young gentlemen, I know what you^'e come for," 
he exclaimed when he saw us. YouTe curious to hear 
some more of my yarns. IPs natural, and Ifll not balk 
you. There’s one thing you may depend on, it will be a 
long time before I shall spin them all out. Y^ou needn’t 
tell me where I left of. I was telling you about my pet 
shark and the dreadful event connected with it. It’s a 
Avarning to people not to haA'e pet sharks, as you’ll say when 
you hear more. But come in, young gentlemen, and make 
yourseWes comfortable. Ah, Mr. (i ogles, I’m glad to see 
you here; you’ve not heard any of my veracious narrative, 
but noAV you shall hear something to astonish you, I guess." 

Gogles Avas a A^oung midshipman, the son of a planter at 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


303 


Jamaica, who had joined ns when we were last there. His 
conntenaiice exhibited a large capacity for imbibing the 
wonderful and improbable, a fact which had not escajied 
Mr. Johnson^’s acute observation. 

By tlje time Toby Blulf had brought the boatswain his 
usual evening glass of grog, and he had cleared his throat, 
and, as he remarked, brought up his thoughts from the 
store-lockers of memory, a large audience was collected in 
and outside the cabin. 

• Listen, then, and let no one doubt me,^^ continued Mr. 
Johnson. ^‘1 told you the ^ Lady Stiggins Mvas bound 
round Cape Horn. AVe were running down the coast of 
America, when somewhere to the southward of the latitude 
of Demerara it came on to blow very hard from the north 
and west. The clouds came rushing along the sky like a 
mass of people all hurrying to see the king open parliament, 
or a clown throw a somersault at a fair, or anything of that 
sort, while the wind howled and screeched in the rigging as 
I have heard wild beasts in the woods in Africa, and the sea 
got up and tumbled and rolled as if the waves were danc- 
ing for their very lives. You need not believe it, but the 
foam flew from them so thick that it actually lifted the ship 
at times out of the water. We had sent down our top-gal- 
lant yards, and had just furled the courses, and were in the 
act of lowering our main-topsail to reef it close, when the 
squall, more heavy than before, came right down upon us. 

I was at the helm at the time, and heard it roaring up 
astern. The main-topsail yard had just reached the cap, 
and the fore-topsail was the only sail showing to the breeze. 
The blast struck us; a clap, as if of thunder, was heard, 
and away flew our fore-topsail clean out of the bolt-ropes, 
and clear of everything. Off it flew, riglit away to lee- 
ward, down upon the breeze. I kept my eye on it, and ob- 
served that, instead of sinking, from the strength and 
Imoyant power of the wind it retained precisely the same 
elevation above the sea that it had done when spread to the 
yard. I did not mention the circumstance to any one, but 
took care not to lose sight of the sail. This was a hint to 
us not to set more canvas, so the main-topsail was furled, 
and away we scudded, under bare poles, right in the wake 
of the fore-topsail. 

‘ ' Instead of abating, the wind increased till it blew a per- 
fect hurricance. I, liowever, kept at tlie helm, and ex- 


204 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


plaining to the captain the occurrence I had observed, 
begged to be allowed to remain there. At first he woidd 
scarcely believe me, and declared that it was a white cloud 
ahead of us, but I was so positive, that at last he let me 
have my way. Well, we steered straight on all that day, 
and when night approached I took the bearings of *the sail 
that we might follow it as before. The wind did not vary, 
and in the morning there it was, exactly in its former posi- 
tion, only I think we had gained a little on it. On, on we 
ran, tearing rather over than through the foaming ocean, 
but still we did not come uj) with the sail. At last I was 
obliged, from very weariness, to let a careful hand relieve 
me at the helm, and, desiring to be called if we neared the 
sail, I turned in and went to sleeji. Now you will want to 
know, young gentlemen, why I was so anxious to come up 
with the sail ? The fact is that I had taken a notion into 
my head, which I will tell you presently. Well, I was so 
weary that I slept for five-and- twenty hours without turn- 
ing, and I could scarcely believe that I had been in my 
hammock more than an hour, for when I came on deck 
everything was exactly as I had left it. Feeling much re- 
freshed, and having swallowed two dozen of biscuits, a leg 
of pork, and a gallon of rum and water, I took the helm, re- 
solved to carry out my intentions. It wasnT, however, till 
the next morning, when the sun broke out from behind the 
clouds, that it shone directly on our fore-topsail, now not 
the eighth of a mile ahead of us. For some reason or other, 
which I have never been able satisfactorily to explain, we 
were coming rapidly up with it. I now saw that the mo- 
ment was approaching for carrying my plan into execution. 
Accordingly I sent the people on to the fore-yard, and also 
on the fore-topsail yard, which was hoisted right up, some 
with palm-needles and others with ear-rings and lashings. 
It was a moment of intense interest. I kept the brig^s 
head directly for the sail. We approached it rapidly; it 
Avas over the bowsprit-end. My eye did not fail me, and, to 
my inexpressible satisfaction, " we shot directly up to the 
sail. The men on the yards instantly secured it, and in 
five minutes it was again spread aloft as if it had never left 
its place. There, young gentlemen, if you ever see any- 
thing done like that, 5^011 may open your eyes with astonish- 
ment. I gained some credit for my performance, though 
there are people, I own, who do not believe in the fact. 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


205 


which is not surprising, as it isn^t every day in the week 
that a ship recovers a topsail which has been blown away 
in a gale of wind. 

There was a considerable amount of cachinnations along 
the deck outside, while a gruff voice grunted out, Well, 
bo^sun, that is a jolly crammer;’^ at which Mr. Johnson 
looked highly indignant, and we were afraid that he would 
not continue his narrative; but a glance at Gogles^s deli- 
ciously credulous and yet astonished countenance, as he sat 
with his eyes and mouth wide open, staring with all his 
might, seemed fully to pacify him. I never met a man 
'who enjoyed his own jokes, though certainly they were of 
the broadest kind, more thoroughly than did Mr. Johnson. 


CHAPTER XIII. 

On the evening of which I was speaking in my last chap- 
ter, Mr. Johnson was evidently in the vein for narrating 
his veracious history. I saw this by the twinkle of his 
eye, by the peculiar curls round the mouth — which poets 
speak of when describing Euphrosyne, or any charming 
young lady of mortal mold, as wreathed smiles,^’ but 
w^hich, in the boatswain^s case, could not possibly be so 
called — by the gusto with w^hich he smacked his lips, after 
each sip of grog, and the quiet cachinnations in which he 
indulged, that there was no fear of his breaking off for 
some time, unless compelled by his duties to do so. I M^as 
right. After stretching out his legs, folding his arms, and 
bending down his head, as if to meditate for a few minutes, 
he looked up with his usual humorous expression, and tak- 
ing a fresh sip of grog, recommenced: 

Some of you young gentlemen have been in a gale of 
wind, and a jDretty stiff one too, but except the little blow 
we had the other day, you, Mr. Gogles, have no practical 
experience of what a real downright hurricane is,"’"’ he con- 
tinued. Why, i once Avas in a ship where, after we had 
carried away our masts, we were obliged to run under a 
marline-spike stuck up in the bows, but even that was too 
much for her, and we were obliged to send the carpenter 
forward with a sledge-hammer to take a reef in it by driv- 
ing it fm-ther into the deck. It must blow hard, youJl 
allow, when it becomes necessary to take a reef in a mar- 


20G 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


line-spike. In the same gale, the man at the helm Had all 
his hair blown clean oft* his head; the cook, as he looked 
out of his caboose, had his teeth driven down his throat, 
and one of the boys who was sent on deck to see how the 
wind was (for we were obliged to batten down and get be- 
low), had his eyelids blown so far back, that it took all the 
ship^s company to haul them down again. You don^'t know 
what a gale of wind is till you have seen it. 

Some loud shouts of laughter were heard outside the 
berth, but Mr. Johnson, without heeding them, continued: 

But, by the bye, I was describing my voyage round the 
Horn in the ^ Lady -Stiggins,^ and I am coming to the mel- 
ancholy part of my history. No sooner had wc recovered 
our topsail than the gale abated, and nothing of moment 
occurred till we hauled up to the westward to round the 
Horn. For some days we had light winds and fine weather, 
but those who have doubled the Cape know well that it 
blows there pretty hard at times, and we soon had to learn 
this to our cost. Soon after noonday it came on to blow, and 
such a sea got up as I had never seen before. That was a sea. 
Sometimes we were at the top of one wave, while my pet 
shark, who had faithfully followed us, would be in the trough 
below, looking no larger than a minnow in a mill-stream, 
and sometimes when we were at the bottom we could see 
him looking lovingly down upon us, high above our top- 
gallant mast-head. At last we were driven back right in 
upon the coast of Patagonia, and had we not found a har- 
bor in which to take shelter, we should have lost the ship 
and our lives. 

The land of Patagonia is bleak and barren, and, as 
you all know, the few scattered inhabitants make up for the 
scarcity of their numbers by their personal stature, for they 
are, without exception, the tallest people I have ever met. 
I felt quite a pigmy alongside them. They have large roll- 
ing eyes, long shaggy hair, and thick snub noses; indeed, 
they are as ugly a race as I ever set eyes on. Perhaps, for 
certain reasons, I might have been jirejudiced, but of that 
you shall judge. 

We anchored the brig in a snug cove, where she lay 
completely sheltered from the tempest which raged with- 
out, and we were thus enabled to go ashore to procure wood 
and water, of which we stood much in need. For two 
days we saw no signs of inhabitants, and thus we incau- 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


207 


tiously stroHed about without arms in our hands to stretch 
our legs. I was always of an inquisitive turn, fond of ex- 
ploring strange countries; so one day, having parted from 
my comj)anions, I walked on into the interior. I was think- 
ing of turning back, for the day was far advanced, when 
my attention was attracted by a column of smoke ascend- 
ing from among a grove of trees in a valley at no great dis- 
tance from me, and being curious to ascertain the cause of 
it, I proceeded in that direction. 

On reaching a hill which overlooked the spot, I per- 
ceived several human beings seated round a large fire in 
front of a rude hut, and busily employed in cutting slices 
from an ox, which was roasting whole before it, and which 
they transferred to their mouths, smacking thejr lips to 
signify their high relish for the feast. 

I was very hungry, and certainly felt an inclination for 
a piece of the savory morsel, the odor of which ascended 
to where I stood, but prudence advised me to retire, for I 
could not tell what the disposition of the savages might be. 
For what I knew to the contrary, they might spit and 
roast me as their dessert. 

There appeared to be a family group. There were an 
old man and woman, whom I took to be the father and 
mother, three younger females, whom I judged to be 
daughters, and two sons. All of them were dressed in 
skins, and I was enabled to distinguish the females by their 
having petticoats, and their hair braided in long plaits, 
which reached to the ground. Their personal appearance was 
not prepossessing, and their voices M^ere so loud that I could 
hear every word they uttered, though of course I could not 
understand their language. I was on the point of retreat- 
ing, when one of the young ladies, turning her head, per- 
ceived me watching them, and, with a loud cry, rising from 
her seat, she ran toward me. I had not before remarked 
the height of the savages, but as they all stood up, I now 
perceived that she was full ten feet high, and yet the short- 
est of the party. Although not afraid, for fear was a 
stranger to my bosom, I 3^et did not relish the thoughts of 
having to encounter such formidable-looking personages, 
and therefore set off toward the shore as fast as my legs 
Avould carry me; but I soon found, by the shouts astern, 
that the young giantess had made chase, and, turning my 
head over my shoulder, I saw that she was coming up hand 


208 


THE MIDSHIPMAN^. 


over hand with me. I was on the top of the hill, and she 
was at the bottom, but that made little difference to her, 
for on she hounded, like a kangaroo or a tiger, and I felt 
con\inced that on flat ground I should have no chance of 
escape; I therefore suddenly brought up, tacked about, 
and faced her with my arms expanded to make me look of 
more considerable size. She was coming on full tilt. I 
did not think she was so near, and the consequence was, as 
^ she was stooping down, I found my arms round her neck, 
with my feet off the ground, while I clung to her in a very 
affectionate embrace. She uttered some words which I 
could not understand, and, covering my face with kisses, 
ran back with me toward her companions, just as a young 
lady does with a little child she has run after, laughing 
with pleasure. 

Here I was fairly caught; hut I argued from the be- 
havior of the young lady that I was not likely to be very 
severely treated by the rest. When she got back to her 
family with me in her arms, she introduced me in form to 
them, and made me sit down by her side, while the rest ex- 
amined me minutely from head to foot. After they had 
gratified their curiosity, and satisfied themselves that I was 
a human being, she, observing my eyes turned toward the 
roasted ox, cut off a slice and handed it to me. The animal 
was of prodigious size, and would have beat a London prize 
ox hollow. The meat was of delicious flavor, though 
rather too fat for my taste, but in cold climates such is 
generally preferred. I found, however, that it is not the 
usual food of these people, but is considered a great delicacy, 
as they live for most part of the year on whales and seals 
which they catch with much ingenuity with a rod and line. 
A whale, however, requires, they told me, great skill and 
patience to kill, as it is apt to break the tackle. The 
savages, with my slight assistance, having picked the bones 
of the ox almost clean, washed down this repast with huge 
flagons full of a liquor which smacked of a taste remarkably 
like the best schiedam. It was, however, far more potent, 
as I fgund to my cost, for the effect was such that I fell 
fast asleep. In fact, I was dead drunk; I donT say that I 
didnT take a good swig of it, but still it must be strong 
stuff to capsize me. How long I slept, or what happened 
during that time, I’m sure I don’t know: when I awoke the 
scene was completely changed. I found myself at the mouth 


THE MIDSHIPMAJ^. 


209 


of a cavern, lying on the ground and wrapped up in bear- 
skins, with wild rugged rocks rising on every side around 
me. I tried to rise, but to my dismay I discovered that my 
limbs were bound, and as I gazed on every side I saw not 
the sign of an outlet by which I might make my escape. 
In my rage I bawled out lustily, when I heard a step ap- 
proaching, which might, by its sound, have been the foot 
of a young elephant. It was, how^ev^r, that of the young 
lady who had made me prisoner. When she saw that I was 
awake she sat herself down by my side, and taking my hand 
slobbered it over with kisses, and when I rated her pretty 
roundly for w^hat sheki done, she almost drowned me with 
her tears. They came dowm in Avhole buckets full, like a 
heavy shower in the tropics: it w^asnT pleasant, I can assure 
you. What was the matter with the woman I could not 
tell; in fact IVe found very little difference in -’em from 
one end of the world to the other ; they are complete mystifi- 
cations; when you wants ^em to love you they wonT, and 
when you donT w^ant "’em they will. 

What I now wanted was to get my legs and arms loose 
to he able to run away. After making a number of signs 
to the lady, she comprehended my wishes, and to my great 
satisfaction cast off the thongs of hide with which I found 
she had bound me to prevent me escaping, should I awake 
during her absence. She then asked me my name, when 
she let me understand that hers Avas Oilyblubbina, which I 
afterward learned means, in the Patagonian tongue, softener 
of the soul. I heard her pronouncing my name over and 
over again to herself, so I repeated hers, Oilyblubbina, Oily- 
blubbina, Oilyblubbina, several times, which pleased her 
mightily. She then produced from a basket a few rounds 
of beef and some loaves a yard long, of Avhich she pressed 
me to partake. I did so gratefully, for I Avas in Avant of 
my breakfast. She next pulled out a bottle of schiedam, 
but I remembered the effects of Avhat I took the day before, 
and Avas cautious. Having satisfied my hunger, I made 
signs to her that I Avas anxious to wish her a very good- 
morning, and to return to my ship, but not one of my hints 
would she take. I shook her Avarmly by the liand, told her 
that I Avas much obliged to her for her hospitality, and then 
walked aAvay, but wherever I went she dogged my steps and 
would not let me out of her sight for a minute. I did my 
best in every Avay to escape, but it Avas no go; in fact, young 


^10 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


gentlemen, I found myself the slave of this monster of fat 
and ugliness, for I am sorry to say that I can not speak in 
more flattering terms of the fair Oilyblubbina. Seeing that 
for the present it was hopeless to attempt to escape, I pre- 
tended to be reconciled to my lot, and offering my arm in 
the politest way possible, walked quietly by her side, though 
I confess that 1 had to jnit my best foot foremost to keep 
up with her. She was evidently pleased with my altered 
behavior, and smiled and ogled me most lovingly. How 
her eyes did roll! 

The effect, however, w^as very different to w^hat she in- 
tended. I dare say her heart was as tender as that of 
women of more moderate dimensions, but I can not say that 
I liked those ogles of hers. AVell, on we walked, talking a 
great deal all the time, though I donT pretend I under- 
stood a word she uttered, nor do I suppose she did what I 
said. She told me, however, a very long story, w^hich by 
her actions I judged intimated that she had lost some one, 
and that I was to supply his place. All I know is that, 
after w^eeping a great deal, she finished by taking me in 
her arms and covering me with kisses. I had before sus- 
pected, from the absence of any of that bashful timidity 
found in a young girl, that she was a widow, and such I 
learned from her father was the case. 

We were now close to the hut where I had first seen 
the savages, and there her father and two brothers appeared 
before us, while I found the old mother and two sisters had 
been stowed away in the brushwood, 'watching our j^roceed- 
ings. Instead of appearing angry, the father took me by 
the hand, and warmly pressing it, placed it in that of his 
daughter, and then he rubbed our noses together, which I 
found was a sign of betrothal, and then all the family came 
and hugged me, one after the other. In fact, I found that 
I was become one of the domestic circle, and to supply the 
place of a lost husband to the young widow. It was by no 
means pleasant, let me tell you, that hugging and kissing, 
for the oil and fat those people consume give them a very 
unpleasant odor, and it was some time before I could get 
it out of my nostrils. These considerations, with my anxi- 
ety to proceed on my voyage, determined me not to yield 
tamely to my fate, for, as to having to spend the rest of my 
days in the society of Oilyblubbina, that was out of the 
question. I had, however, no reason to complain of my 


THE MID^HIPMAX. 


211 


treatment by them, for they would not allow nie to do any 
work, hut brought me the best food, and did everything for 
me. Yet, notMuthstanding all her tenderness, the charms 
of the loving Oilyblubbina could not move my flinty heart; 
but I was obliged to hide my real sentiments, for I had no 
fancy, unarmed as I was, to fight the father and two 
brothers, not to speak of having to contend against the rage 
of the disappointed lady and her female relatives. 

Three not overagreeable days had thus passed, and I 
was beginning to fear lest my shijDinates, giving me up for 
lost, might have sailed away without me, though I knew 
that they valued me too much to desert me till all hopes 
were gone. That day the family dinner was composed of 
a large mess of whalers flesh and blubber boiled in a cal- 
dron, and washed down as usual ^with huge beakers of 
Schiedam; but I watched my opportunity, and each time the 
cup was passed to me I emptied it by my side unperceived 
by the rest. I all the time made them suppose that I was 
drinking more than usual, and appearing to be perfectly 
drunk, pretended to fall off into a sound sleep. When it 
grew dark the young lady, as was her custom, carried me 
into the cavern, and bound my hands and feet to prevent 
my running away, but as she was fastening the thongs I 
contrived to slip my hands out of them. While I thus lay 
I looked out carefully through my half-opened eyelids, and 
observed all the family retiring to their different roosting- 
jflaces. It was an anxious time; one after the other they 
dropped asleep, and then, to my great satisfaction, com- 
menced a chorus of snoring which sounded more like the 
roaring of a hundred bulls than anything I had ever before 
heard. The moon was fortunately high in the heavens, 
and there was light enough for me to see my way, which I 
had been careful to note well. Crawling tlierefore out of 
my skins, I put a block of wood where my head had been 
and rolled them up again to make it a23pear that I was still 
tliere, and then cautiously crept away in the direction of 
the cove where I had left my ship. As soon as I was out 
of hearing I set off and ran as fast as my legs would carry 
me, up hill and down dale, through woods and across 
moors,'without stopping to look behind me, for I knew that 
when a man is running away from an angry lady he must 
put his best foot foremost. 

“ I had Just reached the top of a hill, whence, to my 


2V> 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


great joy, I beheld my ship floating calmly in the bay be- 
low me/ when I heard a loud cry in the rear. I looked 
round — ^it was the loving Oilyblubbina. She came on at a 
furious space, tearing u]) the young trees as she passed in 
her eagerness dD catch me. I dashed down the hill-— I flew 
rather than ran — I rushed through rivulets, I jumped 
down precipices, nothing stopped me — I made, light of a 
leap of a hundred feet. I have run very fast at times, but 
I never ran so fast before nor since; she, however, was 
gaining oii me; in a few minutes more she would be up 
with me. It was very awful. A high cliff was before me, 
without hesitation I threw myself over it; death was pref- 
erable to slavery — and such slavery. I reached the shore 
in safety, but, horror of horrors! she came after me, and 
alighted unhurt on the shore. The ship was at some dis- 
tance, but I plunged into the sea to swim on board. I now 
thought myself safe, for I had no idea that she could swim, 
but she could, and after me she came, blowing like a gram- 
pus. It takes my breath away even now to think of it. I 
struck out boldly; the water bubbled and hissed as I threw 
it aside. I told you I was a good swimmer, but so was she. 
On she came, and every instant I expected to feel my foot 
in her grasp. If a man can have any reason for being 
afraid, I surely then had one. We had swum a mile, and 
the brig was some way off. I halloed to my shipmates, 
but they did not hear me. Louder and louder grew the 
blowing of the lady as she spluttered the salt-water from 
her mouth; she was within a few yards of me, and in an- 
other minute I should have been captured, when a dark ob- 
ject passed close to me — it was my pet shark. There was 
a loud scream and a gurgling noise. A dreadful thought 
occurred to me — it was too true! I was safe, but the loving 
Oilyblubbina had been swallowed by the monster. She 
must have been a tough morsel, for after his performance 
he lay some time on his back utterly unable to move. A 
revolution had taken place in my feelings; I did not wish 
her death, I only wanted to run away from her, and I 
mourned her untimely fate. I, however, considered that 
my lamentations could not restore her to her afflicted fam- 
ily, so, as soon as the shark had recovered, I -placed myself 
on his back, and made him convey me alongside my ship. 
It was time for me to be off , for, as I was throwing my legs 
across him, I saw by the light of the moon the whole family 


THK MIDSHIPMAN. 213 

rii.'hiiig down the liill to jdunge into the sea after me, and 
I doubt if he could liave swallowed any more of them. 

Thus was I delivered from one of the greatest dangers 
it has ever been my lot to encounter. When I got on board 
my shipmates welcomed me warmly, and sincerely con- 
gratulated me on my escape. The gale had abated, and as 
old Blowhard had been only waiting for my return to put 
to sea, we instantly made sail, and stood out of the harbor 
with our faithful shark in company. I dare say to this day 
the Patagonian chief fully believes that we carried off his 
daughter; so, in a certain sense, we did, but not exactly in 
the way he supposes. Poor man, it was better that he 
should not. It was very dreadful. 

Jonathan was silent: he took a long pull at his tumbler, 
and gave a deep sigh, which sounded not unlike a peal of 
thunder along, the decks. Gogles^s eyes had been growing 
larger and larger, and rounder and rounder, and his mouth 
had been gaping more and more. 

‘^^What a dreadful thing he exclaimed, drawing his 
breath. I wonder you could bring yourself to sit on the 
shark^s back after what he^d done.^'’ 

Mr. Johnson did not answer; he only sighed. He was 
meditating on the tragic fate of his loving Oilyblubbina. 

AVe again began to be afraid that, overcome by the recol- 
lections which he had been conjuring up, he might not con- 
tinue his narrative. 

‘'‘^That was, indeed, a dreadful way to lose your intended 
wdfe,” observed Gray, wishing to rouse him up. 

Mr. Johnson^s eyes twinkled. 

^^It was — it was,^'’ he answered emphatically. Poor 
Oilyblubbina! I would rather have found a pleasanter for 
her sake, but it w^as sure. There was little chance of her 
coming to life again. Dreadful! I believe you, it was 
dreadful. I was not sorry when we lost sight of the high 
land of Patagonia, so full of painful recollections to me. 
Por two or three days the weather was fine, but our ill-luck 
had not deserted us," for another gale sprung up, and drove 
us back again very nearly into the very harbor near which 
the family of Oilyblubbina resided. I "never felt so uncom- 
fortable in my life lest I should fall into their hands, and 
they might insist on my marrying another daughter. To 
do her justice, my poor Oilyblubbina was by far the best- 


214 


THE HIDSHIPMAH. 


looking of the female members of the family. However, 
we managed to keep the sea, and at length recovered our 
lost ground. Once well round the Cape, we steered north, 
putting into several ports, but nothing extraordinary hap- 
pened. Our pet shark followed us, and always kept watch 
round the ship. I invariably used to ride on him about 
the harbors, just as if he had been a sea-horse, aiid aston- 
ished the Dons not a little, I calculate. ’ In fact, I had 
some thoughts of having a high saddle made to fit his back, 
so as to keep _my feet out of the water. In calms he was 
very useful in towing the ship in and out of harbor. By 
the bye, I omitted to tell you of an occurrence which took 
place while we were on the eastern coast. One night when 
I had charge of the deck, feeling that there was no use 
keeping the men out of their hammocks, as they had been 
hard-worked lately, and I could do as much any day as half 
the ship^s company, I told them to turn in. You’ve all 
heard, of course, of the Pampeiros of South America. 
They are heavy squalls which come off the Pampas of that 
extraordinary country. For an hour or more I had stood 
at the helm, admiring the stars, and thinking of the num- 
ber of strange things which had happened to me, when on 
a sudden, without the slightest warning, I found my teeth 
almost blown down my throat, and, before I could sing 
out to shorten sail, over went the vessel on her beam ends 
with such force, that even the sea didn’t stop her; but 
while I hung on to the wheel for dear life, down went her 
masts 2:)erpendicularly, and up she came on the other side, 
and to my infinite satisfaction righted herself with a jerk, 
which sent everything into its place again. So rapid was 
the movement, that nothing was washed away, nor were 
any of the people awakened. Indeed, they would liot be- 
lieve what had happened even when I told them, till they 
found a turn in the clews of their hammocks, for which 
they could not otherwise account. Many of my old ship- 
mates in the ^Lady Stiggins ’ are still alive, and will 
vouch for the truth of my statement.” 

Are you certain, bo’sun, that you did not take the 
turns yourself while the people were on deck, and then get 
them all to go to sleep that you might make them believe 
your story?” asked some one outside, in a feigned voice. 

Wouldn’t it bo easier, stupid, to invent the story from 
beginning to end, if I wanted to impose on any one?” asked 


THE MIDSHIPMAN^. 


Mr. Johnson, with pretended indignation. Hov/ever, as 
I have more than once before observed, I have an especial 
objection to be interrupted by cavilers and doubters; so Til 
thank you, Mr. Dubersome, to keep your notions bottled 
up in the empty skull which holds all the wits youVe got. 
Ho! ho! ho! I generally contrive to give as much as I get. 
But I must, I see, proceed with my veracious narrative. 

We at last left the coast to visit some of the islands in 
the South Pacific. The first place we touched at was the 
island of Pomparee. It was then governed by a king and 
queen, who had an only daughter, the Princess Chickchick. 
The ship wanted some repairs, and as we hove her down 
here, I had plenty of time to become acquainted with the 
people. Everything in that island was made of coral. In 
the first place it was coral itself, then the reefs which sur- 
rounded it was coral, and the sand was composed of bits of 
coral. The palace of the king was built of coral and so 
were the houses of the people, only his was red, which is 
scarce, and theirs of plebeian white. It had a very pretty 
effect, I can assure you. The chairs and tables would, I 
doubt not, have been made of coral, only they did not use 
them; in fact, their notion of furnishing a house is very 
different to ours. A few mats, and baskets, and pipkins, 
are all they require. Their garments are somewhat scanty 
too, but the weather is all the year round so warm that it 
would be absurd for them to dress up as we do. The king^s 
dress on grand occasions was a crown of gay-colored feathers, 
and a sort of Scotch kilt of the same material, with a cloak 
over his shoulder. The queen also wore a petticoat, and so 
did little Chickchick, but not a rap else, nor did they seem 
to think it was necessary. The king^s name was Eumfiz, 
and her majesty was called Pillow. They were an amiable 
couple, and remarkably fond of each other. When I ob- 
served that everything in the island was made of coral, I 
did not mean to say that there were no trees, for there were 
a great many very beautiful ones, bread-fruit trees, and 
cocoa-nuts, and palms, and many others. I made the ac- 
quaintance of his august majesty after I had been on the 
island a few days. I was one evening walking by myself 
some little way inland, when I found myself almost in front 
of the king^s palace. He had been snoozing after eating 
his dinner to get an appetite for supper, when he was awoke 
by hearing his courtiers cry out that a white man was come 


216 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


among them. He jumped up, rubbed his eyes and ad- 
dressed me in the followmg language: 

^ You Englishman, why you come now? Come by-by; 
eat Slipper plenty.^ 

By this I understood that his majesty was inviting me 
to supper, which was the fact. I accordingly lighted my 
pipe, and sat^ down under a tree to smoke, while the king 
got into his hammock again and went to sleep. Presently 
a number of courtiers came and spread mats in the shade 
near where I was sitting, and others brought baskets filled 
with brea/i-fruit, and cocoa-nuts, and grapes; and the King 
Eumfiz got up, and came and sat down with Queen Pillow 
and the Princess Chickchick, and several other lords and 
ladies. They all looked as if they were waiting for some- 
thing, and presently they set up a loud shout as a number 
of slaves appeared with large baskets on their heads, drip- 
ping with water. I watched what was to be done, when I 
saw the king lean back, and a slave pull out a live fish from 
the basket, which he clapped into his majesty^s mouth. 
The fish wriggled his tail about a little, and the king rolled 
his eyes with delight till it slipped down his throat, and 
then he rubbed the region to which it had descended, as if 
it had afforded him the highest satisfaction. 

“ The queen ^s turn came next, and I thought she would 
have been choked with the size of the fish, which went 
wriggling all alive down her throat. The courtiers were 
next allow'ed to enjoy the same luxury, while little Chick- 
chick and the ladies-in- waiting amused themselves by let- 
ting handfuls of prawns playfully skip down their throats. 
After a little time the king made signs that he was ready 
for another fish, which in like manner was let down his 
throat, and in this way he consumed two or three dozen 
live fish (I like to be under the maik), and the queen and 
courtiers nearly the same number each. In that country 
it is tlie royal prerogative of the king to eat more than any 
of his subjects. They were all much surprised to find that! 
could not eat the live fish, for as they thought me a superior 
being to any of themselves, they fancied that I could do 
more than they could. I did try to swallow a few prawns, 
but they stuck in my throat, and made me terribly husky, 
for all the rest of the evening. I, however, soon learned 
to eat live fish as well as the best of them, and before I left 
the island I could swallow one as large as a tolerable-sized 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


217 


salmon; but then, of course, they liad no spikes on their 
hacksi I once saw the king swallow a conger; I don^t 
think I could have managed one myself, but you never 
know what you can do till you try. 

After supper the maids of honor and the courtiers got 
up to have a dance, and I toed it and heeled it with the 
princess to her hearths content. . Didn^'t I come the double 
shuffle in fine style! No man could ever beat me in danc- 
ing, and when I had got a princess for my partner it was 
the time to show off. The king was delighted, and asked 
me at once to come and put up at his palace, and to bring a 
few bottles of rum, and some pipes and baccy with me. 
This I did as soon as the duties of the ship would allow me. 
Well, I soon became great friends with the king and queen, 
and I used to go up to the palace every day and sit and 
smoke a pipe with his majesty in a cozy way, and fre- 
quently the queen would come and take a whiff out of my 
pipe, till she learned to smoke too, and I then taught her to 
chaw baccy. She was very fond of a quid, let me tell ye, 
and we became as friendly as two mice. All the time lit- 
tle Chickchick used to sit up in a corner by herself, mak- 
ing a mat or a straw hat, or some such sort of thing, look- 
ing up at me with her beautiful eyes, and listening to all I 
was saying, though, for the matter of that, she could not 
understand much of my lingo. At last I caught the dear 
little thing at it, and I thought she would like to learn to 
smoke also, so I taught her, and I was not long in finding 
out that she had fallen desperately in love with me. Of 
course, I could not do less than return the comj)liment, 
and told her so, which pleased her mightily. In fact, the 
king and queen and I, with the princess, had a pleasant 
life of it, with nothing to do and plenty to eat and drink. 

^ Now,^ said the king one day to me, as we were sitting 
over our pipes and grog, ^ you wonT go away in big ship — 
you no go — you stay marry Chickchick — be my son — modi 
tetter. Enemy come, you fight; friend come, you talk.' 

By this I concluded he wanted me to become his prime 
minister — a sort of first lieutenant kings have to do all the 
W'ork for them. 

^I'll think the matter over, your majesty,' I answered, 
and if I can manage it. I'll stay.' 

This answer seemed to please him mightily, and little 
Chickchick came up laughing and singing to me soon after- 


218 


THE :midshipmak. 


ward, and told me she was so glad of that; she would like 
to be my wife above all things. It was a little bit of unso- 
phisticated nature which pleased me amazingly. I then ar- 
ranged with the captain to remain there while he went cruis- 
ing among the other islands, and he was then to come back 
and take me to the South Polar sea, where we were bound 
on a whaling cruise. The ship sailed away, and so did my 
pet shark, whom I afterward heard pined and grew thin, 
and wouldnT even take his food when he found I was not 
on board. It was a mark of affection which touched me 
sensibly. 

I thus became, by my own intrinsic merits, a prime 
minister and son-in-law to a king. I had not an unpleasant 
life of it altogether; the princess was very fond of me, and 
the people were easily governed. The secret was to let 
them do exactly what they liked. I used, also, to make 
them huge promises, which, though I never kept, served to 
amuse them for the time, and I always had the knack of 
wriggling out of a scrape, which is the secret of all govern- 
ment. The first thing I did was to tell them that I would 
advise the king to abolish all taxes which were made on 
bread-fruit,' and when by this means I became very popu- 
lar as a liberal minister, I published an edict, ordaining 
that every man should send twice as many cocoa-nuts to the 
imperial treasury as before. The people had enjoyed a long 
peace, and had become unwarlike, so when they cried out 
that it was useless trouble making spears and bows and 
arrows and in building war canoes, I let them have their 
own way, which made me still more popular. I took the 
precaution, however, of keeping my own musket ready in 
my house in case of accidents, as it was the only fire-arm 
in the kingdom. There were numerous islands in the neigh- 
borhood, and on some of them King Rumfiz had in his 
youth inflicted a signal chastisement, which they had never 
forgotten nor forgiven. 

They had, in the meantime, knocked over two or three 
of their own kings, and had established what they called a 
republic. From what I could make out, one half of the 
people were trying to become governors, and the other half 
trying not to be governed. They had for some time past 
been eating each other up, but having got tired of that fun, 
and wanting a change of diet, they thought it W(iuld be 
pleasanter to attack some other people. I discovered that 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


219 


they had already a large exi^edition on foot, and numerous 
canoes ready to transport them, though it was pretended 
that these forces were to attack another island to the east- 
ward of them. A spy, however, brought me the intelli- 
gence of what they were about, so I endeavored to make 
l^reparations to give them a warm reception; but the people 
would not hear of it, and said it was a great deal too much 
trouble to make bows and arrows, and build canoes to guard 
against a danger which might never arrive. 

There were several fellows among them, some of whom, 
I verily believe, had been bribed by the enemy, who per- 
suaded them that it was much wiser to make mats and hats 
and cloths to sell to the merchantmen than to think of 
fighting. 

Such was the condition of the country, when one morn- 
ing, as I was walking on the sea-shore meditating on the 
atfairs of state, I observed a large fleet of canoes pulling 
toward the island; I ran back to the palace to tell the king, 
and sent messengers in every direction to warn the people. 
All was now hurry, and confusion, and dismay. The first 
thing they did was to tumble the peace-councilors into the 
sea with lumps of coral round their necks, and they then 
set to work to string their bows and to point their arrows 
and their spears. All the generals had plans of their own; 
some proposed letting the enemy land while they defended 
the king’s palace; some to meet him half way, others to 
capitulate, while I collected as many men as I could and 
marched them down to the beach. I had my musket and 
ammunition concealed in a bush for a last effort, should the 
day be against us. The king came out in his best dress, 
and harangued his army, to the following effect: 

^ We much fine fellows — much brave — much good; de 
enemy great blackguard — much coward — much bad — much 
beast; shoot arrow, kill plenty.’ 

On this the army cheered and waved their sjiears and 
bows. We reached the beach but just in time to receive 
the enemy, who were mightily disappointed, expecting to 
land without any trouble, and to make a fine feast of our 
carcasses. On seeing us they set up a terrific shout, in the 
hopes of frightening us away, but it was no go, and then 
they began to pepper us with their arrows, which came as 
thick as hail about out ears. Under cover of this shower 
they pulled into the beach. Our warriors were brave, but 


220 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


they were long unaccustomed to fighting, and many were 
killed and driven back by the enemy. I trembled for my 
father-in-law^s throne, when I considered that the time had 
arrived to bring my musket into play. The first fire aston- 
ished them not a little, but when they found that this pat- 
ent^thunder-maker (as they called it) knocked over two or 
three fellows every time it spoke, they thought it was high 
time to turn tail and be otf. As soon as the enemy began 
to retreat, the mob came forward in crowds to attack them, 
shrieking and swearing, and abusing them like pickpock- 
ets, though they had, while there was any danger, kept 
carefully out of the way. I continued firing on the retreat- 
ing foe as long as they continued in sight, for my gun could 
carry further than any other in existence. It was made 
under my own directions, and was a very extraordinary 
weapon. If it had not been for that gun, I believe King 
Kumfiz would have lost his kingdom. He was very grate- 
ful to me, as, to do them justice, were all his subjects; and 
I found that I was unanimously elected as the heir to the 
throne. My honors did not niake me proud, for I felt that 
I deserved them, and I became, for some time, more popu- 
lar than ever. A neighboring island, however, which had 
been for centuries attached to the dominions of King Eum- 
fiz, gave me much trouble, for though many of the inhab- 
itants were descended from his own people, they insisted on 
making themselves independent (as they called it) and hav- 
ing a king of their own. They were great cannibals, and 
used to eat each other up without ceremony, and as for 
hissing, hooting and swearing, few people could match 
them. The name of the island was Blarney Botherum. 
When I first visited them, I thought^ from their own ac- 
count, that they were a nation of heroes kept in chains by 
King Eumfiz for his own especial pleasure and amusement^ 
and that if I could make them free they would set a bright 
example to the rest of the world of intelligence, civiliza- 
tion, and all the virtues which adorn human nature. I 
soon, however, discovered that the people of Blarney Both- 
erum were the greatest humbugs under the sun. They had 
got a set of people among them whom they called medi- 
cine men, who told them that there was a big medicine 
man in a distant part of the world, whom they were to obey 
instead of King IBimfiz, and that, provided they told him 
the truth, and gave their cocoa-nuts and bread-fruits, they 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


221 


might tell as many lies as they liked to the king, and might 
rob and cheat him as much as they pleased. Whenever, 
therefore, the little medicine men wanted cocoa-nuts and 
bread-fruits, they used to tell the people the big one re- 
quired food, and their whole occupation was to throw dust 
in the eyes of King Rumfiz (as the Turks say), so that he 
might not find out their knavery.'’^ 


CHAPTER XIV. 

Me. Johnson leaned back in his seat, when, slowly 
stooping down for his tumbler, he brought it deliberately 
to his mouth, and took a prolonged sip. Then shaking 
his head, he observed, Politics are awful things to meddle 
with — the very thought of what I endured, turns my throat 
into a dust-hole. ” Again he sipped and again he shook his 
head. Young gentlemen,^^ he said solemnly, if ever 
any of you rise to the top of the profession, and I hope you 
may — and should his Majesty, King George, send for you, 
and offer to make you a prime minister, take an old man^s 
advice, and resiiectfully decline the honor. Say that stand- 
ing at the helm of one of his ships, and fighting her as long 
as there is a shot in the locker, is one thing, and standing 
at the helm of State and being badgered by friends and 
foes alike, is another. You may quote me as an authority. 
AVell, I was telling you how I managed when I was prime 
minister to King Rumfiz, and of the trouble caused me by 
certain personages in the island of Blarney Botherum. 

I was not long in discovering the tricks of these medi- 
cine men, and of their friends who lived on a trade they 
called patriotism, but the difficulty was to catch them. I 
at last, however, found a few tripping, and having hung 
iheni up, the rest were very soon brought into a state of 
implicit obedience to my commands. 

As soon as I had restored joeace to the country, I 
thought that it would be advisable to reform the constitution. 

I had some slight difficulty in comprehending its principles, 
especially as I only as yet imperfectly understood the lan- 
guage. My notions were, however, so opposed by the sages 
of the country, and so great was the commotion created, 
that it was with no slight satisfaction I saw the " Lady 8tig- 
gins ' approaching the island under full sail, as I was one 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


TZ2 

morning sitting on the beach cutting ducks and ‘drakes 
with oyster shells over the calm blue water of the bay. 

‘^1 have a good strong voice of my own even now, but 
then I could make myself heard three or four miles off at 
least, and sometimes, when I was in tone, much further. 
The only other man I ever met at all equal to me was a 
F/enchman, the master of a privateer; and we once carried 
on a conversation together, he sitting on the shores of 
Calais, I on the cliffs of Dover. Well, I stood uj), and 
hailing the " Lady Stiggins,^ waved my hat over my head. 
My former shipmates heard me, though for a long time 
they could not tell where the voice came from. Another 
old friend, however, was more quick of hearing, and sight 
too. I saw a commotion in the water, as if an arrow was 
passing through it, so fast did it draw near. Presently a 
black fin appeared, and then there was a tremend nous rush, 
and then who should pop his head out of the water till he 
ran himself almost high and dry on the beach, but my pet 
shark? In his delight at seeing me he almost got hold of 
my leg, which, in a fit of joyful forgetfulness, I believe he 
would have bitten off, had I not jumped out of the way. 

Well, as I was saying, the shark did not bite off my 
leg ; the delay, would, at all events, have been inconvenient 
had he done so. I stroked his cheeks, and he looked up 
most lovingly into my face with his piercing eyes, and then, 
after he had fioundered back into the water, I got on his 
back and away we went out to sea toward my ship. My 
companions were delighted to see me; the wonder was how 
they got on without me. When we dropjied our anchor. 
King Rumfiz and Queen Pillow, with my wife the Princess 
Chickchick, came off in a canoe to the ship, and very much 
surprised they were to see me on board, not knowing that 
my pet shark was in company. My little wife, indeed, 
thought I was a ghost, and in her fright jumped overboard, 
when she was as near as jiossible sharing the fate of poor 
Oilyblubbina, and would have done so had' I not leaiied 
after her and saved her. Kot to disappoint my pet, we 
gave him afterward half a dozen fat hogs, which he infi- 
nitely preferred. The captain was so generous with his 
liquor, that he sent my royal father and mother-in-law on 
shore roaring drunk. They were so hapjiy that they in- 
sisted on having a ball at the palace, for which purpose I 
issued a decree summoning all the 2 :>r!ncipal of liic 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


223 


island; and a jolly night we had of it too, the old king toe^ 
iug it and heeling it away right merrily in the center of a 
circle of his admiring subjects. Everything must have an 
end, so had my residence in the island. As I had begun to 
get rather tired of the monotony of my life on shore, I de- 
termined to make a voyage for the benefit of my health. 

Did you take your wife with you?'’^ asked Gogles, who 
had swallowed every word uttered by the boatswain. 

^^My wife? Oh, no; I left her on shore for the benefit of 
hers. Poor thing, she cried very much when I went away; 
it was the last time I saw her. 

How was that, Mr. Johnson ?^^ inquired Gray, you 
seem to have been unfortunate with your wives. 

Yes, indeed, I was,” replied the unhappy widower; ‘- I 
have had ten of them too. When I came back, I found 
that the island had been attacked by the savages, wlio had 
carried otf my wife and eaten her. It^s a fact. If they 
had had a reform, and kept me and my gun among them, 
it wouldn^t have hapjiened — of that I am certain. Having 
taken in a supply of wood, water, and provisions, the Lady 
Stiggins^ once more made sail for the southward.” 

wonder you survived all your misfortunes, Mr. John- 
son,” observed Spellman, who, next to Gogles and Toby 
Bluff, seemed to place the most perfect belief in the boat- 
swain^s veracious narratives, as he was pleased to designate 
his amusing inventions. 

^^W’'hy, do you see, Mr. Spellman, I^m tough — very 
tough I” he answered, with a hoarse laugh. I doubt if 
even the head cook of the monarch of the Cannibal Islands 
— King Hoki Poki — could ever make me tender. So you 
see I\e held out through them all; and there^’s one thing I 
may say, trying as they may have been, they have never 
taken away my appetite. Kow, young gentlemen, youVe 
had a good long yarn, and my throat feels like a dust-hole 
with talking, so I must knock off.” 

^^But youJl tell us the end of your adventures some 
day, Mr. jolinson; wonT you now?” said Gogles, implor- 
ingly. 

continue them, perhaps, young gentlemen, an- 
swered the 'boatswain, laughing. But let me tell you it 
will take a mighty long time before I ever get to the end 
of them. TlieyTe inexhaustible— something like the mint, 
young gentlemen, where the king has his guineas struck 


224 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


'which he pays to iis seamen for fighting for him. should 

be in a bad way if his shiners were to come to an end; and 
one thing I may promise you, as long as Fve got a brain 
to think and a tongue to wag, I shall be able to continue 
my wonderful and veracious history. 

Gogles and Spellman, and even Gray, looked puzzled. 
I had long suspected that the origin of Mr. Johnson^s his- 
tory was derived from a source considerably removed from 
fact; and from the peculiar in 'which he screwed up 
his mouth, and the merry twinkle of his one eye^ — for the 
other he shut with the comic twist of his nose — I now had 
not the slightest doubt of the matter. I can not say that 
his narratives were exactly instructive, but they were at all 
events highly amusing to us youngsters. The watch being 
just then then called, an interruption was put to his nar- 
rative. Toby Bluff, and some of the other boys, who had 
been listening outside, 'were scuttling along the deck, splut- 
tering out their laughter, 'while the young gentlemen 
whose watch it was hurried on deck, and the rest retired 
to the berth. We left Mr. Johnson chuckling complacent- 
ly at his own conceits. 

I went to the berth, now magnificently lighted by two 
purser^s dips, which stood on the table, dropping fatness, 
m company with a bread-barge of biscuitrsome tumblers, 
earthenware, and tin mugs, a bottle of rum and a can of 
water, and surrounded by most of the members of the mess 
not on duty. Gogles followed me, and took his seat. The 
can of water and the biscuit was shoved over to him. He 
eyed the bluck bottle wistfully. 

No, no; that isiiT good stuff for babies, said Perigal, 
shaking his head; ^^if we had some milk you should have 
it, Gogles. 

I wish we had; wdiy don’t we keep some cows on 
board?” whispered Gogles. 

‘WYhat would you feed them on?” asked Gray. 

Grass and hay, 'wdien we could get them, of course,?’ 
answered Gogles, sagaciously. 

Not at all,” remarked Bobus. Carpenters’ shavings 
are the things. On board a ship to which I belonged, we 
had two goats and a cow to feed onr captain’s baby, and 
whenever we ran short of hay or grass, what do you think 
the captain did? Cut their throats and eat them? No, 
not he. Why, he was a very ingenious man, and so he had 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


225 


some pairs of green spectacles made, which he used to clap 
over their eyes, and then when the shavings were chopped 
up fine, they used to eat them greedily, believing they were 
grass. He first gave them all the old straw hats he could 
collect, but that was an expensive way of feeding them.'’^ 
should think so, Bobus, observed McAllister, who 
did not like joking himself, and had an especial antipathy 
to Bobus^s jokes or stories, or to Bobus himself. ^^May I 
ask what ship that was in?^"’ 

‘^What ship? why, the old ‘ Thunderer," to the best of 
my recollection,"" answered Bobus, seriously. 

^‘Everything wonderful happened on board the old 
‘Thunderer,""" observed McAllister. Bobus, having been 
left drunk on shore, is the only survivor of her crew, and 
there is no one to contradict him. "" 

I wasn"t drunk; I was sick, and you know that per- 
fectly well,"" exclaimed Bobus, getting angry. I won"t 
have my veracity called in question. I"ve the feelings of a 
gentleman, and my honor to support, as well as others. "" 

‘^^But you shouldn"t support it by telling crammers,"" 
said McAllister, who took a pleasure in irritating poor 
Bobus. 

Order!"" cried Perigal, who was always a peace-maker. 

Come, Mac, let Bobus spin his yarns, and do you spin 
yours; and now just go on with that story about the High- 
lands which yon had begun the other evening, when the 
squall struck the ship. "" 

McAllister was soon in the midst of some wonderful 
Highland legend, while attempting to listen to which I fell 
fast asleep. 

We were once more at anchor in Port Eoyal harbor. 
Several other ships of war were there. On one occasion I 
had the honor of dining with Captain Collyer, when two or 
three captains and several lieutenants and midshipmen were 
present. Among the captains was rather a fine-looking man, 
a Captain Staghorn, commanding the ""Daring"" frigate. 
He was an Irishman, and though I thought our boatswain 
could beat any man at pulling the long-bow, I must say 
Captain Staghorn equaled him. He poured forth the most 
astounding stories with wonderful rapidity and self-assur- 
ance. I observed that all the other officers bowed politely 
at the end of each, no one questioning any of his statements. 
Even C aptain Collyer let him run on without differing from 


226 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


liini ia the slightest degree. I took a dislike to him from 
the first from his overbearing manner at times. Still he 
was certainly amusing, and everybody present laughed very 
much at his jokes. He talked incessantly, and did not 
scruple to interrupt anybody speaking. Among his stories 
was an account he gave of his own prowess, when a lieu- 
tenant in command of a schooner. He was sent in search 
of a piratical craft. He came up with her, and running 
alongside, sprung on board, expecting his men to follow. 
The vessels, he declared, seiiarated, but he laid about him 
with such good will that he not only kept the pirates at 
bay, but drove them below before his own schooner again 
got alongside. Cajitain Col Iyer, politely bowing, observed 
that he had often heai’d of his having taken a piratical 
craft in a very gallant way, which, in fact, he had, but not, 
as he asserted, alone : he had a dozen stout hands to back 
him, which makes all the difference. The name of a 
cousin of mine. Captain Ceaton, was mentioned. I had 
just before received the news from home that he had been 
appointed to the command of a corvette which would very 
probably be sent out to the West Indies. He was only a 
lieutenant when I came to sea, and had not long been a 
commander. I had seen but little of him, but I knew him 
to be a thoroughly brave honest fellow. What, therefore, 
was my surprise and annoyance to hear Captain Staghorn 
open out roundly on him, and abuse him in no measured 
terms. One of the other captains asked why he did so. 

Why ?'^ exclaimed Captain Staghorn, five years ago 
or more he was a lieutenant of a ship I commanded. On 
his being superseded, at length, the lieutenant who suc- 
ceeded him asked him what sort of a person I was, and he 
had the impudence to say that I was a very good sort of 
fellow, who used the long-bow pretty frequently. I w'onT 
say how this came to my ears, but I made a vow, and Ifil 
keep it, that Ifil force him to go out with me, and Til shoot 
him.^^ 

M'he other captains tried to convince Captain Staghorn 
that Ceaton could not have intended to offend him, as he 
was a man who would never offend any one. Captain Stag- 
horn muttered within his teeth, '' I will, though.'' I was 
very much inclined to say, But you do draw with the 
long-bow, and Ceaton only spoke the truth. " I restrained 
myself, however, wisely; for though the other captains 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


227 


might be convinced that I onlj^ said what was the case, 
they would very much disapprove of a midshipman express- 
ing himself freely about a post-captain. Coffee was soon 
handed round, and we midshipmen, according to wont, re- 
tired. We repaired to the quarter-deck, where the master, 
as he occasional^ did in harbor, had taken charge of the 
watch, the rest of the lieutenants not dining in the cabin 
being on shore. He was a very worthy man, but we had 
no great respect for him, and we took liberties on which we 
should not have ventured with Mr. Bryan or the third lieu- 
tenant, or even with Mr. Fitzgerald. For some time the 
influence of the cabin was on us, and we behaved with 
sufficient dignity. One of the midshipmen of the Daring 
walked the deck with me, and opened out confidentially 
with regard to his captain, whom, however, he held in great 
awe. He told me that he was very brave, and had done 
all sorts of wonderful things; that he did not seem to set 
value on his own life, or on that of any one else; that he 
was very quarrelsome, and a dead-shot; that he had killed 
three men in duels, and wounded half a dozen more; and 
that he never forgot or forgave what he considered an in- 
sult or an injury. My friend continued: ‘MVhen we dine 
with him, he tells us the most extraordinary stories, and if 
we do not laugh at the right place and pretend to believe 
them, we are .sure to get mast-headed, or punished in some 
other way, before many hours are over. 

A very unpleasant character, I observed, though its 
hideousness did not strike me so forcibly in those days as it 
does now. I shouldn't like to serve with him. 

Hor did I at first,^^ said my friend, but I have got 
accustomed to his style; and some of our fellows have 
taken a leaf out of his book, and boast and quarrel as much 
as he does. 

I thought to myself of the old saying, Like master, 
like men,"' and adapted it, Like captain, like midship- 
men." 

I would rather serve under Captain Collyer, I re- 
marked. He does not quarrel with or shoot his com- 
panions, and I do not believe that there is a braver man in 
the service." 

Our conversation was interrupted by a chase after poor 
Gogles, whom Spellman and others had started up th*- 
mizzen-rigging, giving him a minute's start. If they 


228 


THE HIDSHTPMAH. 


caught him he was to receive a cobbing; if he escaped he 
>vas to give them one, if he could. Poor Gogles liad cer- 
tainly made but a bad bargain. All the rest of the young- 
sters, including the Daring^s midshipman and me, soon 
joined in the chase; not all, however, to catch Gogles, but 
rather to impede his pursuers, and to give him a better 
chance of escape. Although he had not an over allowance 
of wits, he was very active, and had great tenacity of grip 
— qualities more valuable to skylarking midshipmen, rope- 
dancers, and monkeys, than brains. 

Up went Gogles very valiantly to the topgallant mast- 
head, and, waiting till Spellman had got up close to him, 
under pretense of being tired, he slid down the lift on to 
the yard-arm, and running in on the yard, had descended 
to the cross-trees, leaving all his pursuers above him. In 
similar ways he contrived to evade his j^ursuers, I and others 
helping him by pulling at their legs, or getting above them 
and stopping their way up. He had, I considered, fairly 
won the right to cob all the party; but, grown bold by his 
success, he descended by the lift to the topsail yard-arm, 
and was about to stoop down to traverse the brace to the 
mainmast, when, from hearing Spellman ^s shout, he looked 
up, and missing his grasp, over he went headlong into the 
water. 

I was at the time on the cross-jack yard. I ran to the 
end. Though Gogles could swim, he was, I at once saw, 
stunned by the fall. I did not stop to consider whether 
there was danger or not, but, slipping off my jacket, whicli 
I threw inboard, and kicking off my shoes, I plunged in 
after him, fortunately not losing my breath in my fail. 1 
looked about for Gogles. He was just sinking. I swam 
toward him, for there was a current running which had 
drifted him already to some distan-ce. No sooner did I 
reach him, however, than like a squid he threw his arms 
about me, and made it impossible for me to strike out. I 
entreated him to free me, but he evidently did not under- 
stand what I said. The dread that we should both be 
drowned came over me. I kicked my legs about as rnueli 
as I could, but I could not shoutout for fear of filling my 
mouth with water. I thought of sharks, indeed, of all 
sorts of horrible things. We appeared to be drifting 
further .and further from the ship. 

Preparations were being made to lower a boat, but I 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


• 229 


felt that before it could reach me I must sink. Just then 
I caught sight of the boatswain’s long nose over the ham- 
mock nettings, and the next instant he had slid down a 
rope overboard, and was striking out toward me. 

Shout, boy! shout, my son! kick away — kick away, 
he kept exclaiming, as with sturdy strokes he cleaved the 
water, in his progress making himself as much noise as 
possible. 

I guessed the reason of his cries, for I saw a black fin in 
the distance. Had I been alone when I saw that ill-omened 
fin, I believe that I should have quickly sunk; but the feel- 
ing that I had my messmate to support, and that the hon- 
est boatswain was coming to my help, kept me up. I did 
as Mr. Johnson directed me, and kept kicking with all my 
might, and shouting too, whenever I could get my mouth 
clear of the water. Still I got it more down it than was 
pleasant. I saw something gleaming in Mr. Johnson’s 
hand. It was a long Spanish knife. 

Gogles had been quiet for some time, but just then he 
began to struggle, and again clasped me round the neck. I 
felt as if I was sinking, and was earnestly wishing that Mr. 
J ohnson was a few yards nearer, when I saw him suddenly 
turn aside and strike off to the left. My eye followed him 
with an intensity of interest such as I can not describe. It 
caught the gleam of his knife, and then what was my hor- 
ror to find that he had disappeared. It was but for a mo- 
ment. Directly afterward he rose again, surrounded by a 
circle of crimson, and a huge black body floated up near 
him, lashing the water. He darted forward, and, seizing 
Gogles, released me from his grasp. 

Swim on, Mr. Merry, swim on,” he shouted, shoving 
me before him. Here comes the boat. ” 

The men bent to their oars, and the brave boatswain 
swam on with all his might. With a jerk he threw Gogles 
into the boat, and gave me a shove up as I was climbing in, 
which very nearly sent me over on the other side; he then 
sprung after us with surprising agility, turning as soon as 
he had got his feet out of the water, and striking with all 
his might at a huge creature which followed close at our 
heels. I saw the flash of the monster’s white throat. 

‘^Habet,” shouted our third lieutenant, who was — a rare 
thing in those days in the navy — somewhat of a scholar. 
Mr. Johnson had inflicted a mortal wound on another 


230 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


shark, who was immediately surrounded by his amiable 
brethren, eager to devour him as they had missed us. It is 
not difficult to conceive what would have been our fate had 
we remained another minute in the water, after the boat- 
swain had killed the first shark. 

You indeed did that bravely, Mr. Johnson, said Mr. 
Haisleden, as we returned to the frigate. I never saw 
anything like it. Where did you learn that trick 

In the South Sea, sir/^ answered the boatswain, in a 
quiet tone, very different from his usual boastful manner. 

was once wrecked on an island, where I saw the natives 
swim off and attack sharks with their common knives; and 
I said to myself, what a savage does an Englishman can 
do, if he takes time and practices. So, as I had little chance 
of getting away for man}" months, or it might be years, I 
set to and learned to swim like the natives, and then to 
fight the sharks. It was no easy matter, and at first it was 
trying work to see one of the monsters making toward mo 
and the native who accompanied me; but, after I had seen 
the way in which he managed, I was no longer afraid, and 
soon became as exj^ert as any of them. No man knows 
wffiat he can do till he tries. IVe been the means of saving 
the life of more than one shipmate by thus knowing how to 
manage the brutes. 

^nVhy, you’ve ridden on a shark, Mr. Johnson,” said 
Gogles, opening his ey^es. 

Gammon! ” answered the boatswain, twisting his nose. 

I am speaking the truth now. ” 

By this time Ave had reached the side of the frigate. 
Captain Collyer Avas on deck. He Avarmly thanked Mr. 
Johnson for his gallantry in juminng over to save us, and 
we received the congratulations of our friends at our escape, 
but I found that it Avas generally supposed I had fallen over- 
board as Avell as Gogles; nor did I. feel inclined to explain 
matters. 

I should have mast-headed the youngsters for skylarking 
on board the ^ Haring,’ ” observed Captain Staghorn, to one 
of our officers, as he took a sharp and hurried turn on the 
quarter-deck. 

^‘'I’m glad I don’t belong to y"our ship, my jewel,” 
thought I, as I overheard him. 

Gogles and I Avere sent below to our hammocks, and Mr. 
Johnson followed us to put on dry clothes. 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


231 


ril set all to rights^ Mr. Merry/^ he observed, in a kind 
tone; saw how it all happened, and the brave way in 
which yon jumped after the other youngster; but I wouldn^t 
say anything before that strange captain. I know him well. 
He^s a pest in the service, and always was. Had it not 
been for him I should have been on the quarter-deck. 
However, I must go and shift myself. Turn in and take a 
glass of grog; you^ll be all to rights to-morrow morning.'^ 

Now the excitement was over, I felt very weary and un- 
comfortable, and was not sorry to follow his advice. As 
Mr. Johnson had predicted, the next day I was not a bit 
worse for my adventure; but poor Gogles took several days 
to recover from his fright, and the quantity of salt water 
he had imbibed. 

I found that Captain Collyer treated me with even more 
than his usual kindness, nor was I long in discovering that 
this arose from the account the boatswain took care should 
be conveyed to him of my conduct. I felt, however, that 
I was far more indebted to Mr. Johnson than Gogles was 
to me. I had jumped overboard from impulse, he with 
forethought and deliberate coolness. The circumstance 
cemented our friendship more closely than ever, and I am 
certain that he loved me as a son. With his rough exterior, 
loud voice, and bravery, his heart was as gentle as a wom- 
an's. I have seen tears trickle down his rough cheeks at a 
tale of sorrow, while with purse and sympathy he was ever 
ready to relieve distress, and I am convinced that he never 
wronged man, woman, or child in his life. 

Two days after this, the signal was made that the Pearl " 
corvette was in the offing. As soon as she entered the har- 
bor, I got leave to pay my cousin Ceaton a visit. He was 
an admirer of my sister Bertha, if not actually engaged to 
her, which I thought he might be by this time, and I was 
anxious to get news from home, as well as to see him. A 
kinder, better fellow never breathed. His manners were 
most gentlemanly, and gentle, too, and, though brave as a 
lion, he had never been known to quarrel with a shipmate 
or any -other person. He received me as a brother, and 
very soon told me that, on his return to England, he hoped 
to assume that character. He had a great deal to tell me 
about home, and said that I must stay on board and dine 
with him. 

Our pleasant conversation was interrupted by the an- 


232 


THE HIDSHIPMAX. 


nouncemeiit of Major O’Grady. The name maxle me feel 
uncomfortable, for he was one of the soldier officers who 
had dined on board the Doris,” and appeared to be on very 
intimate terms with Captain Staghorn. He was just that 
stiff, punctilious-mannered, gray-eyed person, for whom I 
have had always peculiar antipathy. He hummed and 
hawed, and looked sternly at me, as if he could have eaten 
me up, and thought my presence especially impertinent; 
but budge for him I would not, till desired by my cousin to 
do so. At last he had to say, I beg your pardon. Com- 
mander Ceaton, but the business I have come on can not be 
discussed in the presence of a youngster. ” 

Go on deck, Marmaduke,” said my cousin. 

Unwillingly I obeyed. My worst apprehensions were con- 
firmed. Captain Staghorn was resolved to carry out his 
diabolical intentions. AVhat could be done? I felt certain 
that Charles Ceaton had never fired a pistol except in open 
warfare, and as to practicing for the sake of being the bet- 
ter able to kill a fellow-creature, I knew that was abhorrent 
to his nature. 

I hurried on deck as ordered, but as the sky -light was off, 
and Major O’Grady spoke in a loud, and it seemed a bully- 
ing voice, I could hear nearly every word he said, nor did I 
consider myself wrong in drawing near to listen. 

am not at all aware of ever having made use of the 
words imputed to me,” said my cousin, calmly. 

That is as much as to say. Commander Ceaton, that 
you consider my friend capable of uttering a falsehood?” 
answered the major, in a deliberate tone. 

Not at all, sir. I am simply stating the fact, that I 
can not clearly recall having uttered the expressions you 
mention,” said my cousin. 

Then you do not deny that you said something of the 
sort; indeed, something to afford my friend Captain Stag- 
horn sufficient ground for demanding an ample and perfect 
apology?” said the major, in his former slow way. 

I shall deny nothing,” said my cousin, at length net- 
tled beyond endurance. He must be, too, I was certain, 
well aware of Captain Staghorn’s reputation as a dead-shot, 
and on that account resolved to go out and fight him. In 
those days, for an officer of the army or navy to refuse to 
fight a duel, however thrust on him, was to be disgraced in 
the eyes of his professional brethren, poor week mortals 


THE MIDSHIPMAIT. 


233 


like themselves. They forgot that the code of honor by 
which they chose to act, was not the code by which they 
were to be tried in another world. 

Then, Commander Ceaton, you can not, of course, re- 
fuse to give Captain Staghorn the satisfaction he demands?^"^ 
said the major. 

Certainly not,^'’ said my cousin. 

You, of course, have a friend with whom I may settle 
preliminiaries,^'* said the major. The sooner these affairs 
are got over the better. 

Undoubtedly,^^ said my cousin, with unusual bitterness 
in his tone. My first lieutenant will act for me. He is 
a man of honor and a friend. I have perfect confidence in 
him. I will send him to you. 

I moved away from the sky-light. My cousin came on 
deck, where he was joined by Mr. Sandford, who, after a 
minute^s conversation,, went into the cabin. He and the 
major very quickly came on deck, the latter bowing stiffly, 
as he descended to his boat alongside. I felt very much in- 
clined to walk up to him, and to say, If your friend shoots 
my cousin, and brother that is to be, 1^11 shoot you;” but I 
did not. I, however, watched, with no friendly eyes, the 
soldier officer, as he sat in. the boat stiff as a ramrod, while 
he returned to the Daring.” I pondered how I could 
prevent this duel. I felt that it was not fair that one man 
wiio had never held a dueling-pistol in his hand, should be 
compelled to fight another who could snuff a candle at 
twelve paces without putting it out. I wanted to find out 
when and where they were to meet. 

My cousin returned to the cabin with Mr. Sandford. The 
latter remained with him for some time, and wfflen he re- 
turned on deck he looked very grave and sad. Never more 
clearly were the evils of dueling brought home to me. 
Here was a man in the prime of life, who might long be 
useful to his country and mankind, about to be murdered, 
simply because he would not apologize for expressions 
which he could not recollect having uttered. My poor sis- 
ter Bertha, too — how miserable his untimely death would 
make lier. 

I walked the deck feeling more unhappy than I had ever 
before done. The midshipmen of the corvette kept aloof 
from me, fancying that my cousin had communicated some 
ill-news, or perhaps that I was in disgrace. I donT know'. 


234 


THE MIDSHIPMAl?'. 


I was glad that no one came and spoke to me. The din- 
ner hour at last arrived, and I went into the cabin. Of 
course I was supposed not to know anything about the con- 
templated duel, and I tried to appear as cheerful as before. 
Besides Mr. Sandford, the purser dined in the cabin, and 
no allusion even was made to the major’s visit. My cousin 
endeavored to keep up the conversation, and smiled at the 
purser’s bad puns, which he had probably heard a hundred 
times before. I talked whenever I could about home — the 
dear old hall — my sisters and brothers, and my father and 
mother. I observed that a shade of pain passed over his 
countenance whenever I mentioned my sisters. I was un- 
wise in doing so, unless it could have had the effect of shak- 
ing his resolution, and inducing him to send to Captain 
Staghorn, and to tell him that men of the world might say 
what they chose, but that he would not go forth to break 
the law of God, to take his life, or lose his own. But why 
do I say that? I now know that nothing but the love of 
God, and of God’s law implanted in his heart, would have 
induced him thus to act. Abstractly he knew that he was 
about to do a wrong thing, but had he been really making 
God’s law the rule of his life, he would not have hesitated 
one moment; but the moment Major O’Grady had opened 
his subject, he would have told him plainly that he feared 
God more than man; that if he had wronged Captain Stag- 
horn, even though unintentional!}^, he would make him all 
tho amends in his power, but that fight he would not. His 
conduct, however, very clearly showed— that brave, and 
honest, and generous, and kind-hearted as he was, a man 
to be esteemed and loved — tliat he feared man, and what 
man might say, more than God, and how God would judge. 
Numbers act thus; but numbers perish of a plague. That 
there are many, does not save them. 

It must be understood that I did not think thus at the 
time. I was only a little less careless and thoughtless than 
those around me. I was very sorry, though, that my cousin 
was going out to fight with a man who was a dead-shot, 
because I was afraid he would be killed, and that my sister 
Bertha, whom I loved dearly, would be made miserable. 
It did not occur to me, as I looked at his open and intel- 
ligent countenance, his broad chest and manly form, how 
it was that, by that time the next day, he might be laid 


THE MIDSHIPA[AH. 


235 


Dinner progressed slowly. Under other circumstances 
he would have thought me especially stupid, for there was 
a feeling in my throat and a weight at my heart which 
effectually stopped me from being lively. After coffee iiad 
been taken, I mechanically rose with the rest, and went on 
deck. I had not been there long before it occurred to me 
that I ought to have wished him good-bye, as a boat was 
alongside to carry some liberty-men on board the Doris." 
I desired the sentry to ask if I might see him, and was im- 
mediately admitted. 

I am glad that you are come, Marmaduke," he ob- 
served. We can not tell what may happen to us in this 
climate. Yellow Jack may lay his fist on us, or a hurri- 
cane may send our craft to the bottom; so, you see, I have 
thought it better to do up a little packet, which, in case of 
an3dhing happening to me, T wish you would give to Bertha 
from me. I don^t wish to die, but in case I should, tell 
her that my last thoughts were about her, and my prayers 
for her welfare. Oh! Marmaduke, she is one in a thou- 
sand. Cherish her as the apple of your eye. You do not 
know her excellences. " 

He went on very justly praising Bertha for some time, 
till there was a tremulousness came into his voice, which 
compelled him to stop and I very nearly blubbered out- 
right. At last he told me to return to the Doris," and 
come to dine with him the next day. 

^^That is to say," he added, ^^if Yellow Jack has not 
got a gripe of me in the meantime. " 

With a heavy heart I went back to the frigate. I took 
two or three turns on deck, considering if I could do any- 
thing, when it occurred to me that I would confide the 
matter to Mr. Johnson, and get his advice, and, it might 
be, assistance. I found him as usual, when the duties of 
the day were over, seated in his cabin, reading a book by 
the light of a ship^s lantern. He put down his book when 
I entered, and seeing by my countenance that something 
was wrong, said — 

^^What is the matter, now, Mr. Merry? Fll do what I 
can, depend on that. " 

I told him all I knew, and asked him if there was any 
way of preventing my cousin being shot. He looked grave 
and thoughtful. 

And these men pretend to have sense in their heads!" 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


'230 

he muttered. Sense! they haven^t ten grains of it. 
Haven^t they a chance, every day of their lives, of having 
their brains "knocked out all in the way of duty, and they 
must needs try and kill each other very contrary to the way 
of duty. I never really wished to be a Lord of the Ad- 
miralty, but if had my way, I would break every 

officer who called out another, or accepted a challenge, or 
acted as second. 

Then you^d have those hung who killed their men?^^ I 
exclaimed, entering into his views. 

No, I would not I would leave them to the just pun- 
ishment their own consciences would inflict ere long,'’^ he 
answered gravely. ‘^But I would not allow men like 
Captain Staghorn to retain his majesty^s commission and 
to ride rough-shod over his brother officers, just because 
he fears God^s wrath less than they do. But you ask me 
how this duel is to be prevented? If you were to let the 
admiral himself know, he would not interfere. The only 
way I can think of, would be to shoot Captain Staghorn 
first, and that wouldnT be quite the thing. Even if we 
could give him a settler, we must never do evil that good 
may come of it; I know that. The fact is, I am at fault, 
Mr. Merry. If either of them were living on shore, some- 
thing might be done; but it^s no easy matter, and that 
youfll allow, to get hold of two captains of men-of-war liv- 
ing on board their own ships. 

I agreed with him ^vitli a heavy heart. We twisted and 
turned the matter over in every way, but did not succeed 
in seeing daylight through it. Perhaps if we had known 
how and where to seek for assistance, we might have found 
it. It was my first watch. After our supper of biscuits 
and rum and water, I went on deck, and when my watch 
was over, turned into my hammock with cruel apprehen- 
sions as to the news I should hear in the morning. 

I was somewhat surprised to find myself sent for, as soon 
as I was dressed, into the captain’s cabin. I felt anxious, 
for I thought that it must be something about my cousin. 
The captain, however, wanted simply to tell me to take a 
note on board the Daring,” and to return with an answer. 

It was a lovely morning; the water was as smooth as 
glass, the sky pure and bright, and the distant landscape 
which I liave before described, looking romantic and lovelv 
in the extreme. As I shoved off from the frigate I saw "a 


THE .MIDSHIPMAJT. 


237 


boat from the ^^PearP^ — the captain’s gig, I guessed — 
cross our bows and pull toward the shore of the Palisades 
some little way up the harbor. I was soon alongside the 

Daring,” and as I crossed the q^uarter-deck with the note 
in my hand, I saw that Captain Staghorn, who was in full 
uniform, was about to go on shore. The officers on duty 
were ranged on either side of the gangway in the usual 
manner. Major O’Grady, stiff and sour, was by his side. 
There was a terrible, savage look, I thought, in Captain 
Staghorn’s gray evil eye. I stepped across the deck to de- 
liver my note. Before I gave it, I heard him say, as he 
walked along the deck, I only intend to wing the fellow, 
major. I swore long ago I’d punish him, and I will keep 
my word.” 

The major made a grim face, and muttered, The brain 
is the best billet. ” 

I handed my note. 

^^Wait, youngster,” he said, sharply, I shall be back 
presently. I’ll send an answer then;” and crumpling uj) 
the note, he put it in his pocket. 

As he was just stepping down the gangway ladder, he 
turned, and said aloud to his first lieutenant, Should the 
admiral and Captain So-and-so arrive before I return, gi\e 
my compliments and say that I was compelled to go on 
shore, but shall be back immediately.” I found that Cap- 
tain Staghorn had invited a large party to breakfast with 
him on that morning, and that their arrival on board was 
every minute expected. * 

Ay, ay, sir,” answered the first lieutenant; and Cap- 
tain Staghorn and Major O’Grady took their seats. 

The oars fell with a splash into the water, and the gig 
darted away in the direction taken by the Pearl’s ” boat. 
I watched the two boats pulling up the harbor as long as 
they continued in sight. I had never in my life felt so 
anxious and grieved. From what I had been told of Cap- 
tain Staghorn, and of his wonderful skill as a shot, I did 
not for a moment doubt that my poor cousin’s life was 
completely in his power, and from the words uttered by 
that evil-visaged major, I had a dreadful apprehension that 
he would exercise his skill to my relative’s destruction. My 
grief was not only on his account, but on that of my dear 
sister Bertha. I thought of the bitter sorrow she would 
suffer when she heard how he had died. Had he been 


238 


thp: ]\iiDSHiPMA]sr. 


killed in action with the enemies of his country, she would 
have mourned his loss long and deeply; for time, I knew, 
would soften such sorrow; but to hear that, weakly yielding 
to an abominable custom, he had died infringing the laws 
of God and man, would prove to a person with a mind and 
opinions such as hers, almost insupportable. It will kill 
her, it will kill her!” I kept exclaiming to myself, and I 
could scarcely help wringing my hands and giving way to 
tears. I have often since thought, that if boys and men 
did but reflect more than they are apt to do of the sorrow 
and suffering which their acts may cause to those they leave 
at home, whom they love dearly, and on whom they would 
really be unwilling to inflict the slightest pain, they would 
often pause before they plunged into sin and folly. I fan- 
^^ied that no one would know what the two captains had 
gone about, and was walking the deck in solitude meditat- 
ing, as I have said, on the cruel event about ‘to occur, 
when I was accosted by the midshipman who had paid the 
Doris ” a visit a few days before, and invited down to 
breakfast. 


CHAPTER XV. 

I WAS ushered with due form into the midshipman’s 
berth of the ^ Glaring.” A large party were assembled, 
discussing an ample supply of food prepared for breakfast, 
'rhey seemed a very free-and-easy set, and it was no fault 
of theirs if I did not find myself at home; but I was far 
too anxious to do justice to the good things placed before 
me, nor could I keep my mind from dwelling on the sad 
work I believed then going forward. I soon found that the 
object of the captain’s visit to the shore was no secret. He 
liad been boasting the evening before of what he had done 
in the dueling way, and congratulating himself on at length 
being able to reap the revenge he had so long sought, sw ear- 
ing at the time that he would shoot Captain Ceaton througli 
the head, as he would any man who dared to impugn his 
voracity. Was, then, his remark, that he would only wing 
I'ini, the result of some momentary compunction of con- 
soience, to be banished by the counsels of that Mephistoph- 
eles-like major? I feared so. The midshipman did not 
know that Captain Ceaton ^vas my relative, and though 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


230 


some seemed to feel for my anxiety, others only laughed, 
and told me that I might as well begin to pipe my eye, for 
by that tinie my cousin would have a hole drilled through 
him, I might depend on it. They seemed, indeed, to be 
proud of their captain^s performances in that way, and 
anxious to imitate liim. Two or three of them boasted of 
having fought duels with midshipmen of other ships, 
- though, as they used not oversharp cutlasses, there had 
been no fatal results. I was very glad that I did not be- 
long to the ship, for a more boastful, quarrelsome set of 
fellows I never fell among. The sort of things Mr. John- 
son said in joke, they uttered in grave earnest, and they 
were excessively angry if they were not believed. However, 
I managed to keep my temper, and at last to eat some 
breakfast, in spite of my anxiety about my cousin. As 
soon as I could, I returned on deck, where I was joined by 
my former acquaintance. He begged that I would not 
mind what had been said. 

You see,” observed he, ^^the captain sets the fashion, 
and the greater number follow it. If we had had a differ- 
ent captain, these same fellows would have had very differ- 
ent ideas.” 

I have often since then had occasion to make the remark, 
that, as a rule, dilnking, swearing, profligate captains turn 
out officers of the same character. A brave, virtuous, and 
good commander can not make all those under him like 
himself; but his example will induce imitation among 
some and act as a curb to vice among others. Great, in- 
deed, is the responsibility of a captain of a man-of-war; 
indeed, of any shiji where there are officers and men look- 
ing up to him. We had not been on deck long, when the 
admiral came off in his barge from the shore, and three or 
four captains arrived in their gigs, as well as some military 
men in shore boats. The first lieutenant made Captain 
StaghoriCs apologies, saying that affairs of importance had 
taken him early on sliore, but that he would be off immedi- 
ately. 

The admiral walked up and down the deck rather impa- 
tiently, and looked annoyed, as if Captain Staghorn was 
not treating him with proper respect. He was also very 
hungry, probably, and he kept continually pulling out his 
watch and replacing it hurriedly in his fob. The captains 
and other officers, aware, probably, of Captain Staghorn^s 


240 


THE MIDSIIIPMAH. 


eccentricities, were less annoyed; but even they at times 
gave signs of impatience. At length the signal midship- 
man announced that the captain^s gig was coming off down 
the harbor. My heart beat quick. 1 never felt so anxious. 
Some midshipmen were in the main chains. I joined 
them, eager to ascertain if my cousin^s boat was also com- 
ing down the harbor. I borrowed a glass. After a time I 
thought that I could distinguish my cousin^s boat coming 
down. Had he escaped; or had the duel been prevented? 
I made out tw’o officers seated in the stern, but the boat 
passed at a distance from the Daring, and I was uncertain 
w'ho they were. I had been so eagerly watching the ^ ^ PearFs 
gig, that I had not observed the ""Daring^s,^^ which now ap- 
proached. A murmur ran through the ship — there was 
something solemn in the sound. I looked down with an 
indefinite feeling of dread. Still, I expected to see Captain 
Staghorn sitting upright with his disagreeable companion 
by his side. The major was there, but a human form lay 
in the stern-sheets, with a boat^s flag thrown over the face, 
to keep off the buzzing flies which were clustering above it. 
The murmur increased into unmistakable accents; the cap- 
tain was dead — shot through the heart. I hurried to the 
gangway, round which the admiral and officers and men 
were assembling. The captain had returned at the hour 
he promised; but how differently! The flag fell from his 
face as the corpse was being lifted on deck. The eyes were 
open and staring horribly; the teeth were clinched, and the 
mouth wore that same bad, disagreeable expression it had 
worn two short hours before, when, full of life and strength, 
and conflding in his nerve and his correct eye, he had 
stepped carelessly down the companion-ladder, determined 
grievously to wound or to take the life of a fellow- creature. 
The doctor went through the form of examining him to 
ascertain that he was dead. He lifted up a hand, it fell 
heavily on the deck. 

There’s no doubt about it,” observed the major, coolly. 

Tou never saw a man alive with a hole drilled through 
him like that,” and he scientifically pointed out the course 
the bullet had taken. 

The admiral and other officers collected round, and he 
continued, I never saw anything more unexpected. He 
walked to the ground with the air of a man going to a ball, 
laughing and joking the whole way. Not a muscle shook 


THE MlDSHIPMA^Sr. 


241 


as he took the pistol and placed himself in position directl}- 
I had measurecl off the ground. I must say that Com- 
mander Oeaton behaved with courage and as a gentleman ; 
but it was evident that neither he nor his second had the 
slightest notion of how to conduct affairs of the sort. Com- 
mander Ceaton placed himself with his full front facing his 
antagonist; and when I remonstrated with his second, as he 
was not thus giving himself a fair chance, he said that his 
captain chose to stand in that way, and that he would not 
change his position. 1 then returned to my principal. I 
naturally asked where he intended to hit his opponent. 

^ In the head,^ he replied; ^ his very look annoys me.^ I 
retired to give the signal. Which pistol went off first I do 
not know; but instead of seeing Commander Ceaton dro]), 
as I expected, I saw my principal leap into the air and fall 
flat on his face to the ground, while Commander Ceaton 
stood unmoved. I never saw a man so cut up about a 
thing. I should have supposed that he had killed a friend, 
instead of a deadly enemy. We had positively to send the 
doctor to him to prevent his fainting. And poor Staghorn 
here, he never expected such an ending. " 

But never was one more richly deserved, muttered 
the admiral, turning away with a look of thorough disgust 
at the major^s cold-blooded indifference to his friend's aw- 
ful death. 

However, the admiral and other officers retired into the 
cabin to discuss the breakfast prepared for tliem, though 
their Imst was not present, with what appetite I can not 
say. As I could not now get an answer to the note I had 
brought, I returned to the Doris" to report what had 
occurred. 

'^He has met his deserts; and yet how awful," said 
Captain Collyer half aloud, as I told him of Captain Stag- 
horn's death. 

All in our berth were eager to hear what I had to tell 
them about the duel, and I could not help observing how 
different the remarks of my messmates were from those 
which had been uttered in the Daring's " berth. Hearty 
satisfaction w^as also expressed that my cousin had escaped. 
I was eager to go on board the Pearl " to congratulate 
liim and to take him back Bertha's package, as I now knew 
why he had given it to me. I could not, however, go till 
the evening, when Mr. Bryan gave me leave to take the 


'U2 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


dinghy. I sent down my name and was told to go into the 
cabin. I found Captain Ceaton seated at a table, with a 
book before him. He lifted up his head from his hand, on 
which it had been resting, when I entered. I had never 
seen so great a change in any j^erson in so short a time. 
His countenance was pale and haggard, his eyes sunk, and 
his whole look would have made me suppose that hb had 
undergone a year of the most severe mental suffering, or 
some painful illness of still longer duration. I was going 
to congratulate him on having come off the victor, but I 
could not bring out the words I had intended to use. I 
merely murmured out, I am so very glad you are alive. 
I have brought back the package for Bertha. I know now 
why you gave it to me. ” 

^‘^Keep it still, Marmaduke,^Hie answered gloomily. 
feel that I shall soon be summoned hence. God^s wrath 
rests on the willing homicide, and I have sent that man 
without an evil deed repented of into the presence of his 
Maker. I was too eager to fire. Almost before the word 
was given I had lifted my hand to do the accursed deed. I 
would far, far rather have been sliot myself. Let my mis- 
ery be a warning to you. Never on any account lift your 
hand against the life of a fellow-creature, unless you are 
fighting for your country or attacked by assassins. The 
world may gloss over the deed as it will; the conscience can 
not gild a crime. 

He said a good deal more in the same style. I tried to 
comfort him as well as I could, and talked about my sister 
and the future. 

What, unite a spotless hand to that of one stained with 
the blood of a fellow-creature!^^ he exclaimed. No, Mar- 
maduke, when she knows the truth, she will shudder at the 
thought.^" 

I now saw that he was altogether unnerved, and I hoped 
that, if his surgeon was a sensible man, he might do him 
more good than I could with any arguments at my com- 
mand. After a time I went on deck, and finding the sur- 
geon walking by himself, I went up to him and told him 
what I thought. 

Very sensible, youngster. Some soothing draught is 
what he wants. Ifil get him to take it,^' he answered. 

Your relative, let me tell you, had a narrow escape. Hid 


THE MIDSHIPMAi^. 243 

he show you wliere the bullet grazed his head and took off 
the hair?” 

‘^No, indeed. I did not know even that Captain Stag- 
horn had fired,” said I. 

Ay, but he did though, and he aimed at your cousin's 
brain,” said the surgeon. Mr. Sandford tells me that, as 
he looked at his antagonist's evil eye, he never exj)ected to 
hear the captain speak again. He's unhappy now, and 
shocked; very natural for a man of fine feeling; but he'll 
get over it, don't be afraid.” 

Then the wretched man took the advice of his evil 
counselor, and resolved to kill my poor cousin,” I thought 
to myself. I was afraid, however, that the fact would be 
no comfort to him, but would rather aggravate his suffer- 
ing when he thought that the last feeling which had ani- 
mated the bosom of the man who had been so suddenly 
sent to his dread account, was that of bitter animosity and 
revenge. I instinctively felt this; and so, when I returned 
to the cabin before leaving the ship, I refrained from to cell- 
ing on the subject. T did not know at the time — nor did 
any one else on board, I am afraid, in a position to speak 
to him — where alone he could seek for comfort and con- 
solation in his wretchedness, for wretched he was, and al- 
most hopeless. 

However, I must not longer dwell on the subject. I re- 
turned to the Doris,” but I got leave on most days to 
visit my cousin. I did not see any great change in him for 
the better. An inquiry took place with regard to the duel, 
but the evidence in his favor was so strong, and Captain 
Staghorn's character was so notorious, that he was acquitted 
of all blame in the matter. I was truly glad to find that 
we and the Pearl ” were to sail together and cruise in 
company for some time, in search of some of the enemy's 
privateers, which had been committing havoc among our 
merchantmen. The day before we sailed we received a visit 
from old Colonel Pinchard, and we invited him dov/n to 
dinner. He seemed in high feather, having got as many 
pupils as he could manage to instruct in French; and, 
moreover, as he told us, he had hopes that he had softened 
the heart of a Creole lady, who, though somewhat weighty 
herself, was outweighed by the bags of doubloons of which 
she was the owner, not to speak of a number of male and 
female slaves, who acknowledged her as their mistress. 


544 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


you see, vary good, vary good, he added. ^^You 
see, modi obliged to you for take me pi-isoner. I drink to 
de sant6 of all de young gentlemans of de ' Doris. ^ 'Jlie 
old colonel certainly contrived to make himself very happy, 
and we sent him on shore singing alternately the Marseil- 
laise hymn, some Royalist tunes, and God save the King, 
Mdiile he kept continually shouting out "‘'Vive Napoleon 
"" Vive hAngleterre!^^ "" Vive la France!” exhibiting in his 
cups the real cosmopolitan feelings which inspired him — the 
feeliugs of most old soldiers of fortune. They start proba- 
bly with some vague notions of seeking honoi* and glor}^, 
but, finding the objects at which they aim thoroughly un- 
satisfying, they in most cases become intensely selfish, and 
think only how they can make themselves most comfortable 
under any circumstances in wdiich they are placed, or how 
they can secure the largest amount of plunder. This M^as 
the last time I saw Colonel Pinchard, but I heard that he 
married the Creole widow, forswore France, and settled in 
Jamaica. 

We were all glad to get to sea again, as we had little 
pleasure from being in harbor; for, though the West Indies 
has many charms, and at some seasons no fault can be 
found with the climate, yet Yellow Jack is an unpleasant 
customer, whose visits we were happy to avoid. I have not 
named any of my messmates for some time. Poor McAl- 
lister was the only one much changed; the climate certain- 
ly affected him, but he got a great deal of badgering from 
the officers of his own standing in the service, and especial- 
ly from the mates of other ships, for having been out- 
witted by the Frenchman, and for losing his prize. He 
took the bantering ill in public, and brooded over the sub- 
ject in private, till he began to believe that his courage was 
doubted, and that he must do some very daring deed to re- 
trieve it. But I must do old Perigal the credit to say that 
he never bantered him, though Spellman did whenever 
he thought he could give a sly hit with impunity. 
I did what I could to comfort him, and the liking for me 
which he had always entertained evidently increased. I was 
in his watch, and, as we w^alked the deck together, he 
would talk to me by the hour of Scotland, and the estate of 
his ancestors, which he hoped one day to recover. Sud- 
denly he would break off and in a tone of deep melancholy, 
exclaim, "" Ah, but those are dreams — all dreams — never 


THE MIDSHIPMAN-. 


245 


to be realized. I am never to see bonnie Scotland again; 
her heathery hills, and blue, blue lochs, and my own Mary; 
but I^e never told you of her. She's been the pole-star to 
me since I came to sea. She was but a young girl then, 
but when I had returned from my first voyage, she'd grown 
into the fairest maiden for many a mile round, and soon 
she promised to be mine, when I should get my promotion. 
I won't talk more of her, though; but you'll undertake, 
Mr. Merry, when you go home, should I lose the number 
of my mess, to go and find out the poor girl, and tell her 
all about me. " And so he ran on. Of course I promised 
to do all he wished. Midshipmen always do promise each 
other all sorts of a similar nature, and intend to fulfill their 
promises faithfully, though I am not prepared to assert 
that they always do so. 

By the bye, it is rather curious that at least half my 
messmates who confided their attachments to me were in 
love with young ladies of the name of Mary. Sometimes, I 
suspect they were myths, but they did equally well to talk 
about. To a sailor's ear there is something very attractive 
in the name; certainly I have known several most charm- 
ing Marys, and one especially — but I am not going to 
make confessions. 

The Pearl " sailed well, and kept easily in company 
with us. After getting clear of Jamaica we stood to the 
eastward, to run down among the French islands, where 
we might have a chance of falling in with some of the pri- 
vateers, starting on their cruises. We had before long 
done a good deal of mischief among them; we captured 
three, sunk one, burned another, and drove two on shore. 
At last, one morning at day-break, a large schooner was re- 
p)orted in sight, standing to the southward. Both we and 
the corvette made all sail in chase. There was no doubt 
that she was an enemy, as she spread all the canvas she 
could set for the purpose of escaping. The wind was light, 
which was to her advantage, and from the first it seemed 
very doubtful that we should overtake the chase. Still, 
while there was a chance. Captain Collyer was not the man 
to give it up. The wind was about abeam. The corvette 
was ordered to keep well to windward, to prevent the 
schooner from hauling up, and thus escaping; while there 
was no doubt that, should she attempt to escape before the 
wind, fast as she might sail we should come up with her. 


246 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


Our aim was to jam her down upon the land, as we had 
done other vessels, when we should drive her on shore or 
capture her. 

During the morning I was several times on the forecastle, 
where I found McAllister with his glass eagerly fixed on the 
chase. 

I am certain of it,” he exclaimed. As true as I am 
a Highland gentleman, and my name is McAllister, that 
craft ahead of us is the ^ Audacieuse. ^ I know her by 
second-sight, or, if you don^t believe in it, by the cut of her 
canvas, even as this distance. I^m certain of it. I would 
give my patrimony, and more wealth than I am ever likely 
to possess, to come up with her. 1^1 make Lieutenant 
Preville pay dearly for the trick he played us.” 

Though I thought very likely that the schooner in sight 
was our former prize, I could not be certain. Xeither 
were the men who had been with us, nor were the creAv of 
the Espoir ” at all certain as to the vessel in sight. As 
Ned Bambrick observed, She might be her, or she might 
not be her; but one French scoooner, at the distance of 
seven or eight miles, looked very like another, and that^s 
all I can say, do you see, sir, for certain. The only way is 
to overhaul her, and then we shall know. ” 

Perigal was inclined to side with McAllister, from the 
satisfaction which the so doin^ afforded him; indeed, he 
now appeared in far better spirits than he had done since 
our mishap. 

At last the breeze freshened, and we rose the land, the 
coast of Cuba, beyond the chase. Her chance of escape was 
consequently much lessened, unless she could haul up along 
shore, or there was any harbor up which she might run for 
shelter. We were now clearly gaining on her, and as we 
drew nearer McAllister became more and more certain that 
she was the Audacieuse,” while others also agreed with 
him. I, of course, hoped that he was right. 

We will make Preville cook for us. He shall be em- 
ployed in dressing ragouts all day long,” he exclaimed, 
rubbing his hands. '^Butlhope he wonT yield without 
fighting. I wish it would fall calm, and I may be sent in 
command of the boats to take him. That would be the 
most satisfactory thing. ” 

I agreed with him in the latter point, but argued that the 
Frenchmen had only treated us as Ave should have attempted 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


247 


to treat them under similar circumstances, so that we had 
no reason to complain, while they had also behaved most 
liberally to us when giving us a boat to reach Jamaica. My 
poor messmate was, however, far too excited to listen to 
reason. 

The day wore on. Nothing would induce McAllister to 
leaA^e the deck. We sent him up some cold meat and bis- 
cuit for dinner, but he would scarcely touch the food, con- 
tinually keeping his eye on the chase. The day was ad- 
vancing, and we were drawing in with the land. It was 
still uncertain whether we should catch her, as she might 
more easily escape us during darkness. We were about two 
miles from the land, against the dark outline of which her 
sails appeared shining brightly in the rays of the sun, just 
sinking into the ocean. The wind was dropping. If the 
land breeze came off, we might not be able to work uji to 
her, though she might anchor, and then McAllister’s wish 
would be gratified. 

I had returned to the forecastle, where a good many of 
the officers were assembled, watching the chase. The sun 
had sunk below the horizon. The gloom came down with 
a rapidity unknown in northern latitudes. There was the 
schooner. Our eyes were on her. Suddenly she disa2)- 
peared. McAllister stamped with his foot, and I thought 
would have dashed his glass on the deck, when he could no 
longer discover her. So unexpectedly had the chase van- 
ished that some began to pronounce her the Flying Dutch- 
man,” or a phantom craft of that description. The master, 
however, very soon appeared, and announced the fact that 
inside of us was a strongly fortified harbor, and that of 
course the cause of the chase being no longer seen was that 
she had run up it, and rapidly furled her sails. 

We now hauled off the land, and hove to, and Captain 
Ceaton coming on board, it was agreed that an attempt 
should be made to cut out the schooner, and any other ves- 
sels which might be in the harbor. The plan was very 
simple. The marines, with a party of seamen, were to land 
and attack the forts in the rear, while the ships’ boats, 
manned by all the blue- jackets who could be spared, were 
to take possession of the vessels in the harbor, if they 
could. 

The harbor was reported as strongly fortified, and it was 
important, therefore, if possible, to take the enemy by sur- 


248 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


prise. The captains consequently resolved to put off the 
attack till another night. This did not suit poor McAllis- 
ter’s impatience. He was ^ager to commence the under- 
taking without delay. 

The two ships now stood off to such a distance that they 
could not be seen from the shore, and we then hove to. 
All those to be employed were busily preparing for the 
work in hand. It was understood that it would be far 
more severe than anything in which we had yet engaged. 
Captain Ceaton begged leave to lead the expedition, and, 
Mr. Bryan being ill, Mr. Fitzgerald was to be second in 
command. The land forces were led by Lieutenant Fig, of 
the marines. Though his name was short, he w^as not; 
and he was, moreover, a very gallant fellow. The second 
lieutenant of the corvette had charge of the boats for land- 
ing the soldiers. In such exploits it is seldom that the 
senior captain himself commands; indeed, they are gener- 
ally confided to the lieutenants who have their commissions 
to win. McAllister, to his great satisfaction, got command 
of one boat, with Gray as his companion; and Mr. John- 
son, whom I accompanied, took charge of another. We 
were to have three boats from the frigate and two from the 
corvette, the rest being employed in landing the soldiers. 
My cousin was unwell, and in the evening his surgeon sent 
on board to say that he was utterly unfit to accompany 
the proposed expedition, the command of which was there- 
fore claimed by Mr. Fitzgerald. 

If it was daylight, his phiz would go far to secure us 
the victory,” observed Perigal, who did not hold our eccen- 
tric second lieutenant in high estimation. However, he 
can shriek, and that is something. ” 

As soon as it was dark, we once more stood toward the 
land, but the night wind came off, and 'we worked up at a 
slow rate, which sorely tried our patience. The hours of 
darkness passed by; still, we had night enough left to do 
the work. The ships hove to, and the boats were piped 
away. My heart beat high. I longed almost as much as 
McAllister to regain possession of the Audacieuse,” should 
the schooner prove to be her. There was no time to be 
lost, lest daylight might surprise us. We shoved off, and 
away we went right merrily, with muffled oars, the men 
bending their backs to them with a will. 

There was supposed to be a little cove outside the chief 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


240 


harbor, and here the soldiers were to land and form. A 
rocket sent up by our part of the expedition, as soon as we 
were alongside the schooner or discovered by the enemy, 
was to be the sig-nal for the soldiers to advance and storm 
the works. At some little distance from the harbor’s 
mouth we parted from the land forces, and now still more 
rapidly we advanced. On a hill overlooking the harbor we 
could distinguish the outline of a formidable-looking fort, 
or rather castle; while close under its guns lay, not only 
the schooner, but rising up, with the tracery of their spars 
and rigging penciled against the sky, appeared a large three- 
masted ship, either a heavy corvette or a frigate, with three 
or four more vessels moored head and stern of her, while 
the schooner lay more out, with her guns pointing down 
the harbor — so that, to get at her, we should have to pass 
under the fire of all the rest, w'hile the guns from the fort 
above could plunge their fire right down upon us. 

The tide was running strong out of the harbor, and the 
gray streaks of dawn were already appearing in the east. 
These circumstances might be to our advantage, if we were 
once in possession of the schooner, but were at present very 
much against us. What other officers might have done in 
a similar case I am not prepared to say; but Paddy Fitz- 
gerald was not the man to turn his back on an enemy till 
he had crossed blades with him. So on we pulled, rather 
slowly, though, against the current. I hoped that the enemy 
had not discovered us, for it seemed as if no watch even wiis 
ke])t on board the vessels, and that all their crews were 
wu’apped in sleep. 

Don’t be too sure of that,” whispered Mr. Johnson. 

They are not like heavy-sterned Dutchmen or Russians; 
these Frenchmen always sleep with one eye open. ” 

Whether he was right or not I do not know, but just jis 
the boats, all keeping close together in beautiful order, had 
got abreast of the lowest vessel, our eccentric leader, either 
by accident or on imrpose, for the sake of giving the enemy 
a* better chance of knocking us to pieces; sent up the rocket 
right over their heads. The first whiz must have startled 
the sleeping watch, and in a few seconds drums were heard 
beating to quarters, and oflicers bawling and shouting, and 
lights gleaming about in all directions. The crew of the 
scdiooner, too, gave evidence that they were on the alert, 
for several shots came flying down the harbor over our 


250 


THE MIDSHIPMAK. 


heads. They had not got the range, but they would soon. 
Mr. Fitzgerald^s voice was heard shouting: 

We\e awoke them up. Erin go bragh! Hurra, lads! 
push on!’^ 

A deep voice was heard joining the shout, ^‘^For the 
schooner! The schooner^s our aim 1^^ It was that of Mc- 
Allister. 

On shore, too, and in the fort, there was great com- 
motion; drums there also were beating, and officers calling 
the garrison to the ramparts, while bright flashes and the 
rattle of musketry showed that those of the land expedition 
were well performing their part of the undertaking. 

We dashed on as fast as we could urge the boats against 
the current, right under the broadsides of the corvette and 
other vessels, which began pouring in on us a terrific fire of 
great guns and small arms, which soon made fearful havoc 
among our crews. Still we pulled on. Three men in the 
boatswain^s boat had been struck, one of whom was killed, 
when a shower of grape-shot came plunging down directly 
into her, killing another man, and tearing right through 
her sides. She filled rapidly. A cry arose from our poor 
fellows, as they found themselves sinking. We were close 
to another boat. Mr. Johnson, seizing one of the wounded 
men, and telling me to follow him, and the cockswain grasp- 
ing the other, we all leaped into her. We found she was 
McAllister^s. Two men in her were killed, and poor Gray 
lay in the stern-sheets badly hurt. McAllister was all ex- 
citement, utterly regardless of the shot like hail flying round 
him, and urging the men to pull toward the schooner. We 
had nearly reached her, when Mr. Fitzgerald, who had 
hitherto been cheering on the men, fell back wounded, 
giving the order, as he did so, to retreat. It was too evi- 
dent that success was no longer possible; one quarter of the 
party were either killed or wounded, and many more must 
be lost before we could even gain the deck of the schooner. 
McAllister thought differently; the object for which he had 
so long been wishing seemed within his grasp. He sprung 
forward, and in the gray light of morning I could see his 
figure as he stood up, and waving his hand, shouted. 

My name is McAllister, of ancient lineage, and the 
rightful owner of a broad estate in the Highlands, and 
it shall never be said that I turned my back to the foe. 
On, lads, and the ^ Audacieuse ^ will be ours!^^ 


THE MTDSHIPMAJJ'. 


.‘351 

Scarcely had he uttered the words, when a round shot 
struck liim on the breast and knocked him overboard, before 
any one could grasp him. Instantly Mr. Johnson sprung 
up, and shouted: 

'"My name is not McAllister, and I haven't an acre of 
land in Scotland or elsewhere, and so give way, my lads, 
with the starboard oars, and back with the larboard ones, and 
let us get out of this as fast as we can, or not one of us will 
have a whole skin to cover his bones. " 

The men obe3^ed. I was very glad they did, for Thad had 
quite enough of the work, and getting the boat round, the 
current soon carried us out of the hottest part of the fire. 
Still the shot came whistling after us, and when I consider- 
ed the terrific fire to which we had been so long exposed, I 
could only feel thankful at finding myself and any of my 
companions still in the land of the living. As it was, two 
of our boats were knocked to pieces and sunk, and fully 
half those who had formed the expedition were either killed 
or wounded. 

My attention was now turned toward my friend Gray, 
who lay in the stern-sheets groaning With pain. I was 
stooping forward to bind my handkerchief over his arm, 
when a round shot flew by, which Mr. Johnson told me 
would have taken off my head had I been sitting upright. 
For his sake, and that of the wounded men, I was very 
anxious to return on board, but I found that we had first 
to go in and cover the embarkation of the soldiers, in case 
they had been defeated and followed, or to give them notice 
of our failure should they still be persevering in the attack. 
On getting into the little harbor, no one was found on the 
beach, and I was therefore dispatched to direct Lieutenant 
Fig to retire. It was an undertaking of no little hazard, 
for I might be made a prisoner by the enemy, or lose my 
way and be unable to return to the harboi*. 

Toby Bluff, who had stowed himself away in one of the 
other boats, entreated that he might be allowed to accom- 
pany me. I was very glad to have a companion. Two 
people can often carry out an object in which one may 
fail. 

Off we set, having taken the supposed bearings of the 
fort, as fast as we could manage to get along through the 
gloom. The first part of our path was through sand, with 
rocks sticking up here and there, over wdiich we stundded 


252 


THE 3IIDSHIPMAK. 


several times and broke our shins, but we picked ourselves 
up as well as we could, and not having time to give them a 
rub hurried on. "We were soon among maize fields, and 
then some cofiee or other plantations, but fortunately there 
were no tall trees near yet further to darken the road. The 
path was somewhat rough, but I believed that it was the 
only one leading to the fort. The firing had entirely 
ceased. I cduld not, however, tell whether this w'asagood 
or a bad sign; whether our marines had entered the fort, 
or had been driven back. Eager to ascertain and to deliver 
my orders, we continued to push on. Suddenly, as we 
were passing a narrow place, with thick bushes on either 
side, some large hands were laid on my shoulders, and a 
rough negro voice said : 

Qui 6tes-vous, jeunes gens?"*^ 

Amis j^espere,^'’ I replied readily, summoning to my 
aid a large proportion of the French I had learned from 
Colonel Pinchard. 

On allez-vous done?” was next asked. 

This was a puzzler, for I could not remember the name 
of the fort, or, indeed, of a castle in French. Another big 
negro had caught Toby Bluff, and, of course, could elicit 
no information from him. They both laughed, as I fancied, 
at my attempts to speak French. I wanted to escape, if 
possible, without fighting; but when I found that we w^ere 
discovered, I put my hand to my belt to draw a pistol. It 
was immediately grasped by my captors, and wrenched out 
of my hand, exploding at the moment, though fortunately 
without injuring me. The negro was lightly clad, and pos- 
sessed of three times my strength, so that I in vain strug- 
gled to free myself from him. Toby also was completely 
overpowered, and they now began dragging us along up the 
hill. 

I felt very uncomfortable. We had failed in the object 
of our expedition, and I thought we should either be knocked 
on the head by our captors, or perhaps be shot for spies by 
the French, while, at all events, if allowed to live, we 
should be kept as prisoners for months or years to come. 
W orked up to desperation by these ideas, I struggled vio- 
lently to get free, calling to Toby to do the same. In my 
struggles I fortunately gave my captor a severe kick on the 
shins, when he, instinctively stooping down to rub them, let 
go his hold. At the same moment, on my telling Toby 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


253 


what I liad done, he imitated my example, and also getting 
free, off we set at full speed, pursued by the negroes. 
Where we were going I could not tell, except that we were 
not running toward the shore. The negroes, having 
stopped for a few moments to rub their shins, came along 
almost as fast as we did, shrieking and shouting out to us 
all the time to stop. The louder they shouted the faster 
we ran, till we were brought up with the point of a bayonet, 
and the challenge of : 

Who goes there 

Friends — ^ Doris ^ I answered, recognizing the voice 

of one of our marines. 

The negroes, hearing an Englishman speak, bolted off 
through a plantation to the right, tumbling over each 
other, and had we been quick about it, we might have 
made them both prisoners. The marine told us that his 
party was a little further in advance, that they had been 
defeated in tlieir attempt to storm the fort, and that Lieu- 
tenant Fig was waiting for further orders. We liurried on. - 
Daylight was making rapid strides, and as the French 
would soon discover the smallness of our numbers, we should 
have their whole force down upon us, and we should be cut 
to pieces or taken prisoners. 

As soon as I had delivered the order to the marine of- 
ficer, he gave the word, March — double-quick,^^ and off 
we set at a pretty smart run. Drums and fifes were sound- 
ing in the fort, and as we crossed a ridge, I saw from the 
top of it a large body of troops coming out of the gate in 
pursuit of us. We could not proceed faster than we were 
marching, on account of the wounded, ^ho were carried by 
the blue-jackets in the center of the party. As it was, I 
perceived that many of the poor fellows, from the groans 
to which they gave vent, were suffering dreadfully. Still, 
it was impossible to leave them behind, for though the 
French might have treated them with humanity, the ne- 
groes would probably have murdered them, had they fallen 
into their hands. Daylight was increasing, of course, ex- 
posing us more clearly to the enemy. I never before had 
had to run away, and I can not say that I liked the feeling, 
still there can be no doubt that in this instance discretion 
was the better part of valor. It would have been folly to 
stop and fight, as at any moment parties might appear, 
landed from the vessels we had attacked, and who might 


254 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


cut US off. The lieutenant of the Pearl/^ who command- 
ed the seamen, had been killed in the attack, so that the 
entire command devolved on Lieutenant Fig, and, to do 
him justice, he behaved with great judgment. . 

The enemy, in strong force, were now rapidly approach- 
ing us. At length we came in sight of the boats; the 
wounded were sent on, while the rest of the party faced 
about to encounter our foes. On they came, but the steady 
front exhibited by the marines made them halt. Once 
more they advanced. We received them with a hot fire, 
and stood our ground, driving them back to some distance, 
but only for a few minutes, for as we were about to con- 
tinue our retreat, again they came on, expecting by their 
greatly superior numbers to overwhelm us. Again and 
again they charged us. Several of our men had fallen, and 
it was too evident that they would soon cut us to pieces. 
Should we be once thrown into disorder, we should be de- 
stroyed before we could reach the boats. I found, too, 
that our ammunition was almost expended. Again the 
enemy came on, when, at the same moment, a loud huzza 
was heard in the rear, led by a voice which I recognized as 
that of Jonathan Johnson, and on he came at the head of 
some twenty blue- jackets, fiourishing their cutlasses like 
a body of Highlanders, and shouting at the top of their 
voices. This timely support encouraged our men, and 
charging at the same moment, we drove the enemy head- 
long before us. 

I had picked up a musket, and charged with the rest, 
and was carried by my ardor, or from not knowing exactly 
what I was about, ahead of my companions. I felt excited 
and highly delighted. The Frenchmen, however, as they 
retreated, faced about every now and then, and fired. As 
I was cheering lustily, a shot struck me, and T fell. I 
thought no one had noticed me, as I heard Lieutenant Fig 
give the order to retreat. The enemy at the same moment 
halted, and encouraged by the arrival of another offi- 
cer, they again came on. It seemed all up with me, but 
my faithful follower, Toby Bluff, had seen me fall, and, 
springing forward, he threw himself in front of me shout- 
ing: 

If any of you Johnny Crapeaus dares to hurt the young 
master, now he^s down, IJl have the life out of you!” 

Struck by Toby’s bravery, the Frenchmen for a moment 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


255 


hung back, but tliey were again coming on, and would 
soon have overpowered liim, when, on looking up, I saw 
31r. Johnson stooping over me. In a moment he had lifted 
me, as if I had been a baby, on his left arm, and tellingToby 
to run, with his cutlass in his right hand, he kept the 
Frenchmen who pressed on him at bay. 

Thus fighting and retreating we reached the boats, and 
one of them having brought her bow-gun to bear on the 
enemy, loaded with grape, kept them at a respectful dis- 
tance, while the rest of us embarked. They did not, 
indeed, approach the shore till we were fairly off, and 
though they peppered us with musketry, only one or two 
men were slightly hurt. However, altogether our expedi- 
tion had been more disastrous than any in which I had ever 
been engaged. 

With heavy hearts we pulled on board. Mr. Johnson, 
with the gentleness of a woman, bound up my wound. 
Poor Gray lifted up his head as he saw me placed by his 
side in the stern-sheets, and said : 

^^What, Merry, are you hurt too? There will be no 
need of shamming this time to deceive Macquoid.^^ 

am afraid not,^^ I answered faintly. ^‘^But still I 
hope we may live to fight the Frenchmen another day.” 

'^No fear of that, young gentlemen,” said Mr. Johnson, 
who had overheard us. ^^Keep up your spirits; young 
flesh and sinews soon grow together, and there are no bones 
broken in either of you, I hope. ” 

We all got at length safely on board, when the wounded 
were without delay carried below, and placed under the 
surgeon^s care. He repeated the boats Wahid’s advice to 
Gray and me, and told us that if we followed it we should 
soon be well. Two or three of the poor fellows brought on 
board alive, died of their wounds that night. We heard 
that Captain Collyer and Commander Ceaton were very 
much cut up at the failure of the expedition, and the loss 
of so many officers and men. I was especially sorry for 
McAllister^s death. Though eccentric in some of his 
notions, he was every inch an officer and a gentleman. 

We at once made sail, I understood, from the fatal spot, 
but the general wish was that we might fall in with the 
schooner elsewhere, or return and take her. 

Before many days had passed, I received a visit from my 
cousin. Sorrow had worked a sad change in him, and I 


256 


THE HTDSHIPMAX. 


felt grieved as I looked up at his coinitenace, of the bad 
report I should have to give of him to poor Bertha. 

It was fortunate for Gray and me that we kept at sea, 
for the weather was tolerably cool, and our hurts rapidly 
healed. 

The Doris had now been nearly four years in com- 
mission, so that we expected, as soon as the cruise was up, 
to be sent home. We had all had enough of the West In- 
dies, and we looked forward with ea^r satisfaction to the 
time when the white cliffs of Old England should once 
more greet our eyes. One sorrow only broke in on our an- 
ticipations of pleasure! It was when we thought of our 
gallant shipmates who had been cut off, who had hoped, 
as we were doing, once more to be united to those they 
loved so dearly at home. I should have been more sorry 
for Perigal than anybody else had he been killed, but hap- 
pily neither bullet nor fever seemed to hurt him, and I 
hoped that he might once more be united to his wife. I 
thought, too, of poor McAllister^s Mary, and of the sad 
news I should have to convey to her. However, I can not 
say that I indulged in these, or other mournful reflections, 
for any length of time. I was more thoughtful than I had 
been when I came to sea four years ago, but that was only 
at times when some occurrence made me think. Generally 
I spoke of myself as Merry by name and merry by nature^ 
and was, I fear, still but a harum-scarum fellow after all. 

As may be supposed, the general subject of conversation 
in the berth, or during the night-watches, was home. 
Those who had never been from home, can scarcely under- 
stand the pleasure seamen experience, who have been long 
absent, in simply talking about returning home. There 
they expect to find peace, and quiet, and rest, those who 
love them, and can sympathize with them, and listen to 
their accounts of all their exploits and dangers and hard- 
ships. Such at that time were my feelings, and those of 
my friend Gray, but I am very certain that they can not 
be the feelings of those who have given way to vicious hab- 
its, and whose only expectation is to enjoy their more un- 
bridled indulgence. The thought of a pure and quiet home 
can afford no joy to them; they lose, I may say, one of the 
chief recompenses, which those obtain whose duty calls them 
away from home, and all the loved ones there. 

Still our hope was deferred, ^\e were, however, the 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


257 


gainers, in one respect, by this, for we took some of the 
richest prizes captured on the station, so that even we mid- 
shipmen began to feel that we were persons of boundless 
wealth. At length our orders arrived, and the shout ran 
along the decks: 

Hurra, we are homeward bound !” 


CHAPTER XVI. 

“ To England we with favoring gale 
Our gallant ship up Channel steer; 

When running under easy sail, 

The light blue western cliffs appear.” 

How often and often have those cheerful lines been sung 
by young, and light, afid happy hearts, beating high with 
anticipations of happiness, and thoughts of the homes they 
are about to revisit after long years of absence. Such was 
the song sung in the midshipmen’s berth of the Doris,” 
as once more our gallant frigate entered the chops of the 
Channel, and we were looking forward to seeing again those 
Western clitfs which often and often we had pictured to 
ourselves awake, and seen in our dreams asleep. 

I will not dwell on the feeling with which Sweethearts 
and Wives” was drunk on the last Saturday evening in the 
midshipmen’s berth as well as in every mess in the ship; 
not that the young gentlemen themselves had any one who 
could properly be designated as one or the other, but they 
might hope to have, and that was the next thing to it. 

I thought of poor McAllister, cut down in his early man- 
hood, and of his poor Mary, and I resolved if possible 
to fulfill his request, and to go and tell her about him. 
It was a task I would gladly have avoided. Then 
again, what an unsatisfactory account I must give to Bertha 
of poor Ceaton. His expectation of dying soon might be 
mere fancy, but it was very evident that his spirits had 
never recovered the shock he had received when he killed 
Captain Staghorn, and he felt himself branded with the 
mark of Cain. 

I was far from recovered from my last wound, and, 
altogether, my anticipations of pleasure were tempered with 
many causes for sorrow. However, I do not wish to appear 
•sentimental, though I do wish to hint that midshipmen, 

9 


258 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


even when returning home;, must not expect to find un- 
clouded happiness. 

We had still some leagues to traverse, and it was possible 
that we might fall in with an enemy and have another bat- 
tle to fight before we could reach home. Not that any one 
had any objection to so doing; on the contrary, no one ex- 
pected for a moment that we could meet an enemy without 
coming off the victor, and being able to sail into Ports- 
mouth harbor with our prize. A sharp lookout was accord- 
ingly kept on every side, as we sailed up Channel, but by 
that time few French cruisers remained daring enough to 
show themselves near the British coasts, and the Needle 
rocks at length hove in sight, and with a leading breeze we 
ran up inside the Isle of Wight, and anchored at Spithead, 
among a large fleet there assembled. 

After waiting two days, uncertain as to our fate, w^e re- 
ceived orders to go into harbor to be paid off. I need not 
describe the operation, nor the scenes which took place 
after it. Each man received a considerable sum, and I 
believe that before many dap were over half the number 
had spent, in the most childish way, the larger portion, and 
some every shilling of their hard-earned gains, and were 
ready again to go afloat. 

Most of the officers had gone on shore, and Spellman, 
and Gray, and I, and other midshipmen, were preparing to 
take our departure, when we went to bid farewell to Mr. 
Johnson. 

Mr. Merry, I hope that we shall not part just yet,-^-’ he 
said with great feeling, taking my hand. The ship is to 
be left in charge of the gunner, and I have obtained leave 
to go up to London to visit my wife, and for other reasons. 
Now it will afford me great pleasure if you and Mr. Gray 
. will make my house your resting-place on your way home, 
or rather I should say my wife^s house, for as I told you, 
she is a lady of independent fortune. Indeed, Mr. Merry, 
friends as we are afloat, I know the customs of the service 
too well to ask you, a quarter-deck officer, to my house, 
under other circumstances." 

DonT speak of that, Mr. Johnson," said I, feeling sure 
that he would be pleased if I accepted his invitation, and 
wishing perhaps a little to gratify my own curiosity. I 
shall be delighted to go to your house. You forget how 
much I am indebted to you for having several times saved 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


my life, and that puts us on an equality on shore, if not on 
board; besides, remember I know all about your wife, and 
I do not think that I ever returned you the letter you gave 
me for her when you thought you might be killed.” 

All right, Mr. Merry; don’t let’s have any protesta- 
tions: we’re brother seamen and shipmates, and thoroughly 
appreciate each other, though some of the incidents I men- 
tioned in my wonderful narrative might shake some peo- 
ple’s confidence in my veracity,” he remarked, again grasp- 
ing my hand. 

However, that is neither here nor there. You under- 
stand me, and that’s enough. If you and Mr. Gray like, 
we will take a post-chaise between us, and post up to town. 
I am impatient to be at home, and you will have no objec- 
tion, I dare say, to whisk as fast along the road as four- 
posters can make the wheels go round.” 

Gray and I willingly agreed to Mr. Johnson’s proposition. 
Spellman was not asked, and had he been, we concluded 
that he would not have accepted the invitation, so we said 
nothing about it to him. We had a jolly paying-off dinner, 
with the usual speeches, and compliments and toasts. After 
the health of the king was drunk and all the royal family, 
and other important personages, Mr. Bryan got up and said: 

Now, gentlemen, I have to propose the health of a 
shipmate; of, I may say, a brother officer of mine. Lieu- 
tenant Perigal, with three times three.” Saying this he 
pulled out of his pocket one of those long official docu- 
ments, such as are well known to emanate from my Lords 
Commissioners of the Admiralty. 

Come at last! hurrah! well, it will make my dear wife 
happy !” were the first words the delighted Perigal could utter. 

I honored him for them. Faithful and honest, he was a 
true sailor. I afterward had the pleasure of meeting his 
young wife, and she was worthy of all the eulogiums he 
had delighted when absent to pass on her. He had picked 
up a fair share of prize-money; otherwise his half -pay of 
ninety pounds a year was not much on which to support a 
wife and to keep up the appearance of a gentleman. I was 
in hopes that Mr. Bryan would himself have been pro- 
moted, but he was not. Mr. Fitzgerald, however, very 
shortly afterward received his commission as a commander. 
Bobus declared that it was because he had stood on his head 
before the king and made him laugh, or because he had 


260 


THE MIDSHIPMAN". 


amused some other great person by one of his wonderful 
stories. I met him one day and congratulated him. 

Ah, merit, merit does everything, Mr. Merry, next to 
zeal,^^ he exclaimed,, with a chuckle. 

You always were a zealous officer; and now I think of 
it, you are the very midshipman who took otf his trousers 
and blew into them, when no other sail or wind was to be 
had for love or money, and the captain was in a hurry to 
get your boat back. Tve often told the story since of you, 
and set it all down to your zeal. 

^^Well, let this be your consolation, if others do not 
recognize your services, I will, when I am one of the Lords 
of the Admiralty. 

^^Well, sir,^^ said I, hope that you will make haste 
to climb up into that honorable position, or the war will 
be over, and I shall not have secured my commission. 

I did not think that it would have been polite to have re- 
plied I thank you for nothing, but certainly I did not expect 
ever to benefit much by. his patronage. 

To return to the paying-off dinner, I wish that I could 
say that all present retired quietly to their respective inns 
and lodgings as sober as judges; but with the exception of 
Gray and me, I believe that not one could have managed to 
toe a plank, hai they been suddenly ordered to make the 
attempt. I speak of things as they were in those days, not 
as they now are. Happily, at the present day, it is consid- 
ered highly disgraceful for an officer to be drunk; and not 
only is it disgraceful, but subversive of discipline, whether 
he is on or off duty, and thus injurious to the interests of 
the service, and prejudicial to his own health and morals. 
Taking the matter up only in a personal point of view, 
how can a man tell how he will behave when he has allowed 
liquor to steal away his wits? what mischief he may do 
himself, what injury he may inflict on others? In the 
course of my career I have seen hundreds of young men 
ruined in health and prospects, and many, very many, 
brought to a premature grave by this pernicious habit of 
drinking. 

But what is the harm of getting drunk once in a way?^^ 
I have heard many a shipmate ask. 

I say a vast deal of harm. How can you tell what you 
will do, while you are thus once-in-a-way drunk? I, an old 
sailor, and not an over strait-laced one either, do warn 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


261 


most solemnly you young midshipmen, and others, who 
may read my memoirs, that numbers have had to rue most 
bitterly, all their after lives that once-in-a-way getting 
drunk, or, I may say, taking more than a moderate allow- 
ance of liquor. Many fine promising young fellows, who 
have at first shown no signs of caring for liquor, have ulti- 
mately become addicted to drinking from that most dan- 
gerous habit of taking a whenever they have an oppor- 
tunity. 

^^But why call that a dangerous habit shipmates have 
asked me. A nip is only just a taste of spirits, raw it 
may be, or perhaps even watered. It^s a capital thing for 
the stomach, and keeps out cold, and saves many a fellow 
from illness. 

So it may, say I. But it is the nip extra I dread, with 
good reason; the nip when no such necessity exists, or 
rather excuse, for a man may pass years without positively 
requiring spirits to preserve his health. However, not to 
weary my readers with the subject, I will conclude it by 
urging them to be most watchful, lest they take the first 
step in this or any other tice. How many fall because they 
think that vice is manly. Which is the most manly per- 
son, he who yields to his foes, or he who, with his back to 
a free, boldly keeps them at bay.^ No greater foes to a 
man^s happiness and prosperity than his vices — or sin. No 
man can expect to escape being attacked by sin, and those 
who are its slaves already cry out, Yield to it: yield to it. 
It^s a pleasant master. Just try its yoke; you can get free^ 
you know, whenever you like. 

Never was a greater falsehood uttered, or one more evi- 
dently invented by the Father of Lies. The yoke of sin is 
most galling; it is the hardest of task-masters. The people 
who talk thus do their utmost to hide their chains, to con- 
ceal their sufferings, which giving way to sin has brought 
upon them. Do not trust to them, whatever their rank or 
character in the world. I would urge you from the highest 
motives, from love for the Saviour who died for you, not to 
give way to sin; and I would point out to you how utterly 
low, and degrading, and unmanly it is to yield to such a 
foe — a foe so base and cowardly, that if you make any real 
effort to withstand him, he will fly before you. DonT be 
ashamed to pray for help through Him, and you are not on 
equal terms unless you do. That is not unmanly. Sin has 


262 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


got countless allies ever ready to come to its support. By 
prayer you will obtain one — but that One is all-powerful, 
all-sufficient. It is my firm belief that He, and He alone, 
is the only ally in whom you can place implicit reliance. 
Others may fall away at the times of greatest need. He, 
and He alone, will never desert you; will remain firm and 
constant till the battle of life is over. 

Now some of my readers, perhaps, will exclaim, Hillo, 
Mr. Midshipman Marmaduke Merry, have you taken to 
preaching? You, who have been describing that extraordi- 
nary old fellow, Jonathan Johnson, with his veracious nar- 
ratives, and wonderful deeds? YouVe made a mistake. 
You\e taken it into your head to write some sermons for 
sailors, and you\e got hold by mistake of the manuscript 
of your own adventures. 

Pardon me, I have made no mistake, I reply. When I 
was Midshipman Marmaduke Merry, I did not preach: I 
did not often give good advice as I do now. I wish that I 
had, and I wish that I had taken it oftener than I did. 
What I do now is to offer the result of my experience at 
the close of a long life, and it is that experience by which I 
wish you to benefit. 1 quote the Scriptures, and I believe 
in the Scriptures for many reasons. One of them is — that 
I have ever seen Scripture promises fulfilled, and Scripture 
threats executed. Now let me ask you what would you say 
to a man whose father, or some other relative, had been 
storing up gold or other articles of value, and which, when 
offered to him, he should refuse to accept, on the plea that 
they cost much trouble and occupied so many years to col- 
lect, that they must be useless? You would say that such 
a man is an idiot. Y^et is not experience, or rather the 
good advice "which results from experience, treated over 
and over again by worldly idiots exactly in that way? Do 
not you, dear refers, join that throng of idiots. Take an 
old many’s advice, and ponder over the matters of which I 
have j ust now been speaking. This exhortation has arisen out 
of our paying-off dinner. I might have given you a very 
amusing account of that same feast — though it was not a 

feast of reason,^' albeit it might have feen a fiow of 
soul,” but I am not in the vein, the fact being that paying- 
off dinners are melancholy affairs to look back at. How 
few of those assembled round the festive board, who have 
been our companions for the previous three^ or four^ or 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


2G3 


perhaps five years, through storm and battles and hard- 
ship, ever meet again ! 

Some have grown in honor, some have sunk in dishonor, 
some have struggled on with services unrequited, and have 
become soured and discontented; others, again, in spite of 
their humble worldly position, have retained good spirits 
and kindly feelings, and though now old lieutenants with 
gray hairs, appear to be the same warm,- happy-hearted 
beings they were when midshipmen. Should any of my 
readers not meet with the success they desire, I hope that 
they will belong to the last class; but I am very certain 
that they will not, unless, as midshipmen, they avoid evil 
courses, and fall not into the paths of sin. 

The morning after that paying-off dinner. Gray and I 
were up early, and had breakfasted, when a yellow chaise 
drew up at the door of the Blue Post, and in the interior 
appeared seated a very dignified-looking gentleman in plain 
clothes, whom we had no difficulty in distinguishing as Mr. 
Jonathan Johnson. Toby Bluff, who was on the box, got 
down and opened the door, when Mr. Johnson, getting out, 
inquired with a paternal ak, whether we were ready to start. 

Our portmanteaus, flattened and wrinkled, containing the 
remainder of those articles which on starting could with 
difficulty be stowed in our bulky chests, being strapped on, 
we jumped in, followed by Mr. Johnson, and Toby re- 
mounting the box, up High Street we rattled at a tremen- 
dous pace, exactly suited to our feelings. 

^^This is pleasant, isiiTit, young gentlemen exclaimed 
Mr. Johnson, rubbing his hands. I never like to let the 
grass grow under my feet either ashore or afloat. Some- 
times, to be sure, one has to sit still, and wait to do noth- 
ing, the most trying thing in the world to do. However, 
when you do keep moving, take care to move forward. 
Some people move backward, remember. I have from time 
to time given you bits of good advice, and I dare say that 
you have been surprised to hear them from an old fellow 
who could spin such an outrageous yarn as my veracious 
narrative, but I hope that its very extravagance will have 
prevented you from supposing for a moment that I am 
capable of falsehood myself, or would encourage it in others; 
still I must own that I have been guilty of a piece of deceit, 
though I did not at the first intend to deceive. I will tell 
you the circumstances of the case, and then condemn me as 


THE ]yiTT)RHTPMAN. 


2CA 


1 deserve. I told you that my wife was a lady of rank and 
education. My father was really very well connected, and 
when I was a young man staying with him, I met the 
daughter of a country gentleman of property, with whom I 
fell in love, and she had no objection to me. Her parents, 
however, would not hear of the match,, and I was sent off 
to sea. Though only a warrant officer, I always liked good 
society when I could enter it, and on one occasion some few 
years back, having gone for that purpose to Bath, I was in- 
troduced to a lady who was, I was informed, the Baroness 
Strogonoff. Before long I discovered that she w^as the wid- 
ow of a Russian baron, and that she was no other than my 
old flame. I found that she had always felt an interest for 
me, and in fact that she would have married me had she 
been allowed. I naturally asked her if she would now, and 
she said Yes. I told her that I was now in the navy, and 
an officer, and though this was true, I felt that I commit- 
ted a great fault in not* telling her that I was only a war- 
rant officer. I was flush of prize money at the time, and 
could make a very good appearance, which, as you may 
suppose, I did not fail to do. The result was that all her 
old affection for me returned, and that, to cut the matter 
short, we married. 

‘^^Here was I, a poor boatswain, the husband of a rich, 
baroness, she, of course, youfll understand, not knowing 
that I was a poor boatswain, or rather, ’what a boatswain 
is. hTow, if there^s one thing more than another sticks 
in my throat, it is the thought of a man being dependent 
on a woman, let her be who she may, for his support, if he 
can support himself. Now I had the greatest affection and 
respect for my wife, but this feeling always- came between 
me and my happiness. While living with her I only 
spent my own prize money on myself; and though I would 
gladly have remained with her, as soon as I was appointed 
to a ship I resolved to go to sea. I was not worse off than 
any post-captain or other officer in the service in this re- 
spect. I told her that duty called me to sea, and, though 
evidently with great unwillingness, she would not stop me 
in the path of duty. Ah, young gentlemen, my baroness 
is a true woman, and I only wish for her sake that I was a 
post-captain, and in a fair way of becoming an admiral. 
She deserves it, anyhow. I have, I believe, a distant cousin 
a baronet, and as I believe that it gives me some importance 


THE MJDSniPAIAl^. 


in the eyes of licr friends, I talk about him occasionally in 
their presence. Not that I care a fig for rank myself, ex- 
cept so far as it might gratify her. So packing up my traps 
I joined my ship, not allowing any one on board to know 
even that I was married. I felt very sad, but I kept my 
afiairs to myself, and tried to do my duty to the best of my 
Jiower. I went to India, and you may he sure I collected 
all the most beautiful presents I could think of for my dear 
wife. I picked up, too, a good share of prize money, so 
that I felt I might return -home with a clear conscience, 
and the prospect of being well received. I was not mis- 
taken, for my wife was ovei-joyed at my return, and would, 
I believe, have been so had I come back without a single 
jewel or shawl for her, and without a guinea in my pocket. 
This time I was able to leave a handsome sum of money 
with her, of which I begged her acceptance, for you see I 
knew that if she died before me, I had always my pension 
to fall back on, or Greenwich, and that I should have am- 
ple for all my wants; and I felt a proud satisfaction in add- 
ing to her comfort and enjoyment by every means in my 
power, for I doubt if any other boatswain in the service can 
boast of having a baroness for his wife. 

I should think not, Mr. Johnson, said L But then, 
I do not think that any other boatswain in the service de- 
serves one as much as you. He pulled up his shirt-collar 
and looked highly pleased at this remark. 

You think so, Mr. Merry? You are a young gentle- 
man of discernment in most matters, and I hope are so in 
this respect,” he answered. However, when you see the 
baroness, I think that you will confess that a man must be 
worth something to be worthy of her. ” 

Thus we talked on, and I fancy that our tongues were 
not silent for a minute together during the whole journey. 
The last stage w.e had four horses. 

I like to go home in style,” observed Mr. Johnson. 
Not on my own account, youJl understand, but because 
it pleases the baroness, and makes her neighbors suppose 
that her husband is a person of consequence.” 

We darted along at a fine rate, and at length drew up at 
the door of a very pretty villa in the neighborhood of Lon- 
don, without having had to drive through the city itself. 
We sat still, while Mr. Johnson sprung out, and we saw 
him through the windows cordially welcomed by a really 


266 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


very handsome-looking lady of somewhat large proportions, 
who we had no doubt was the baroness herself. In this 
conjecture we were right, and Mr. Johnson, soon return- 
ing, introduced us in due form to her. She received us 
most graciously and kindly, indeed in the most good- 
natured manner, aud told us that we were welcome to stay 
at her house as long as we pleased. She seemed a warm- 
hearted unsophisticated person, and I should, have said not 
overrefined or highly educated. Had she been so, I con- 
fess that I do not think she would have married my worthy 
friend Jonathan Johnson. A room was quickly prepared 
for us, and we found ourselves in five minutes perfectly at 
home. We were shortly discussing a capital dinner, and 
as I looked at our well-dressed host at the foot of the table, 
1 could scarcely believe that he was the same person who, 
a few days before, was carrying on duty with chain and 
whistle round his neck as boatswain of the Doris.” During 
dinner the baroness announced that she had fixed on the 
following evening, before she knew of her husband^s in- 
tended return, to give a rout, and she pressed us so warmly 
to stay for it, that we, nothing loath, consented to do so. 
We were able to do this, as we had not mentioned any day 
positively for our appearance at our own homes. 

We spent the next morning in visiting with Mr. Johnson 
the sights of London, but we returned early, as he was un- 
willing to be long absent from his wife. After dinner a 
host of servants came in, and in a rapid space of time pre- 
pared the house for the reception of the expected guests. 
It was well lighted up, and I was quite dazzled with its ap- 
pearance. Still more so was I, when the baroness came 
down glittering with jewels, and the guests began to assem- 
ble, and, as far as I could judge, there appeared to be a 
number of people of some rank and consequence among 
them. There was a conservatory and a tent full of flow- 
ers at the end of a broad passage, all gayly lighted up, and 
several rooms thrown open for dancing, and a band soon 
struck up, and the baroness introduced Gray and me to 
some capital partners, and we were soon toeing and heeling 
it away to our hearts' content. AVe had plenty to say to 
the young ladies about our battles and other adventures, 
and of course we took care not to speak of Mr. Johnson, 
though more than one, I thought, pointedly asked what 
his rank was in the navy, I replied, carelessly, that h^ 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


267 


was a veiy brave officer, who had greatly distinguished him- 
self, and that he had more than once saved my life, so that 
there was no man in existence for whom I hal a greater 
regard. I believe that my remarks, without departing in 
the slightest degree from the truth, were calculated to 
raise the gallant boatswain in the estimation of his wife^s 
friends. S^carcely had I sat down, when I was again on my 
legs, prancing with my partners, up and down the room. 
I was standing quiet for a moment, having reached the foot 
of the dance,. and placed my partner in a seat, when I felt 
a tap on my shoulder, and looking round, who should I 
see but Captain Collyer? 

‘^What, you here. Merry!” he exclaimed. ^^How had 
you the good fortune to be introduced to the baroness?” 

^^Mr. Johnson brought us here, sir,” said I, very nat- 
urally, without a moment^s reflection. 

^^Mr. Johnson!” muttered the captain, in a tone of sur- 
prise. * Who is he?” 

I was about to reply, when, on looking up, there I saw 
him across the room, standing looking at us with a comical 
expression of vexation on his countenance. His eye catch- 
ing that of the captain, he immediately advanced, and said 
quietly: 

I was not aware. Captain Collyer, that you were com- 
ing here, or I should have let you know, beforehand, 
my position in this house. I know, as you are aware, 
the difference between a post-captain and a boatswain, and 
I should not have presumed to invite you, though, as mas- 
ter here, I am honored by receiving you; but you see, sir, 
that you may do me much harm in my social position, or 
render me considerable service, in the way you treat me. I 
am in your hands.” 

I wish to treat you as one of the bravest and most dash- 
ing officers in his majesty^s service deserves to be treated,” 
answered the captain, warmly. ^^How you became the 
husband of a lady of title I will not stop to inquire, but I 
can not help thinking that you will be wise to give up the 
sea, and to remain by her side. The service will lose one 
of the best boatswains who ever served his majesty, but the 
baroness will gain a good husband ; and I shall behappy to 
associate with one I esteem as a friend and equal, which the 
etiquette of the service would prevent me under present cir- 
cumstances from doing.” 


^68 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


I thank you most cordially; Captain Collyer — ^from my 
heart, I do,^^ exclaimed Mr. Johnson. But you see, sir, 
I love the service dearly, and should be loath to <^uitit; and 
I love my independence, and should be unwilling to lose 
that. I mean that I should be sorry to become dependent 
even on my wife for support, while I am able to work for 
it myself. I have explained my feelings and motives, and 
I hope that you will consider them right. ” 

Indeei I do, and honor you for them,^^ answered the 
captain. ^^But still, Mr. Johnson, I think that you 
should take the lady’s opinion on the subject. I suspect 
that when she knows the true state of the case, she would 
far rather you remained at home than have to go knock- 
ing about the salt ocean, without the prospect of bettering 
yourself. ” 

That’s the only fault I have to find with the service,” 
said Mr. Johnson. Perhaps I have been dreaming, when 
living on in hopes that some change might be made where- 
by I might benefit myself, that is, rise in the service, which 
has ever been my ambition. AVhy should not a warrant be 
a stepping-stone to a commission, through extraordinary 
good conduct in the navy, just as a sergeant may hope to 
rise in the army? I don’t mean, sir, that I wish to see the 
present class of boatswains obtain commissions, but with that 
reward in view, a better class of men would enter the service, 
and it would improve the character of the warrant-officers. ” 

So it might, but a large proportion would fail in ob- 
taining their ends, and then we should have a number of 
discontented warrant-ofiicers, instead of being, as at present, 
the best satisfied men in the service. ” 

There’s force in that objection. Captain Collyer; the 
matter requires consideration,” answered our host. You 
must not rank me, however, among the discontented ones. 
I have long made up my mind to take things as they are, 
though I hope that I should not have been found wanting, 
had I attained a far higher rank than I now hold.” 

AVhile we were talking, I had observed a dapper little 
well-dressed man come into the room, and look eagerly 
around. He soon discovered the baroness, and having 
talked to her for some time in an animated style, he ad- 
vanced with her toward us. He then ran forward, and 
taking Mr. Johnson’s huge paw in his hand, he wrung it 
warmly, exclaiming: 


.THE MIBSHIPMAK. 


569 

I congratulate you. Sir Jonathan Johnson, and your 
amiable and charming lady — indeed I do, from the bottom 
of my heart — on your accession to title and property. As 
you never saw, or indeed, I fancy, never heard of, your 
relative the late baronet, your grief need not be very poign- 
ant on that account, so weJl say nothing about it just 
now. I have been working away like a mouse in a cheese 
ever since I got an inkling that you were the rightful heir, 
and have only just discovered the last link in the chain of 
evidence; and then, having rigged myself out, as you nauti- 
cal gentlemen would say, in a presentable evening suit, I 
hurried otf here; and so there^s no doubt about it, and I 
should like to give way to an honest hearty cheer to prove 
my satisfaction.^^ 

Our friend^s countenance was worthy of the pencil of a 
painter, while the little lawyer was thus running on. His 
astonishment for a time overpowered his satisfaction. 

I Sir Jonathan Johnson!"’ he at length slowly exclaim- 
ed. I a baronet — I the possessor of a title and fortune — I 
no longer a rattan-using, call-blowing, grog-drinking, pipe- 
smoking, yarn-spinning boatswain, but a right real English 
baronet — my dear baroness! I am proud, I am happy, I 
am ” — and he threw his arms round his wife’s neck, 
in spite of all the company present, and. bestowing on her 
a hearty kiss, gave way to a jovial cheer, in which Gray and 
I and the lawyer, and even Captain Collyer, could not help 
joining. 

The new Sir Jonathan, however, very soon recovering 
himself, became aware of the absurdity of his conduct, and 
the guests, collected by the cheer, coming round to con-* 
gratulate him, he apologized in a fitting way for his un- 
wonted ebullition of feeling. In a wonderfully short time 
he was himself again, and no man could have borne his 
honors with a better grace. 

When the captain and Gray and I again congratulated 
him, he replied, I am much obliged to all my kind 
friends here, but I know that your good wishes are sincere. ” 

Numberless speeches on the subject were made at supper, 
and when Captain Collyer shook his late boatswain by the 
hand at parting, he assured Sir Jonathan that nothing had 
given him greater pleasure than so doing. 

All I’ll ask. Captain Collyer, is, that when you get a 
ship you’ll give me a cruise some day. I don’t think that 


270 


THE MIDSHIPMAN. 


1 could go to sleep liappily if I was to fancy that I should 
never have the salt spray again dashing into my face, or 
feel the deck lifting under my feet. ” 

The promise asked was readily given, and Sir Jonathan 
Johnson was afterward engaged in one of the most gallant 
actions during the war, when, as a volunteer, he led the 
boarders in his old style, and was mainly instrumental in 
capturing the enemy. 

After peace was established he bought a yacht and many 
a pleasant cruise I took with him during those piping times, 
our old shipmate Perigal, to whom he had thus an oppor- 
tunity of offering a handsome salary, acting as his captain. 

Toby Bluff, by his steady behavior and sturdy brav^ery, 
became a boatswain, and has now charge of a line-of -battle 
ship in ordinary at Portsmouth. 

The captain^’s old servant at last came on shore, and 
took to gardening; but as he usually pulled up the flowers 
instead of the weeds, he was directed to conflne himself to 
sweeping the walks, which he did effectually, with delight- 
ful slowness and precision. He was one day in summer 
found sprinkling the house-maid^s tea-leaves over them, as 
he remarked, to lick up the dust. 

I have said nothing about my own family. It is a sad 
subject. Poor Bertha! The gallant Ceaton never came 
home. His health gave way, but he did riot die of disease. 
He fell on the deck of his own ship m action, at the mo- 
ment the enemy^s flag was seen to come down, the cheers 
of his victorious crew ringing in his ears. 

Now, dear readers, old and young, farewell. I must 
bring these recollections . of my early career as a midship- 
man to a conclusion. I wish that I had reason to believe 
they were as edifying as I hope they may have proved 
amusing. All I ask is, that you will deal lightly with the 
faults of the work. Take whatever good advice you may 
have found scattered through the previous pages, and do 
not, by imitating the bad example of any of my old ship- 
mates, give me cause to regret that I undertook to write 
this veracious history, as Mr. Jonathan Johnson would say, 
of the early days of 

Marmaduke Merry, The Midshipman. 


THE end. 



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ALPHABETICAL LIST 


202 Abbot, The. Sequel to “ The 
Monastery.”. By Sir Walter 

Scott 20 

36 Adam Bede. By George Eliot. 20 
988 Addie’s Husband ; or. Through 
Clouds to Sunshine. By the 
author of “ Love or Lands?”. 10 
5 Admiral's Ward. The. Bj’^ Mrs. 


Alexander 20 

127 Adrian Bright. By Mrs. Caddy 20 
500 Adrian Vidal. By W. E. Norris 20 
477 Affinities. By Mrs. Campbell 

Praed 10 

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603 Agnes. By Mrs. Oliphant. First 

Half....' 20 

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274 Alice, Grand Duchess of Hesse, 
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and Letters 10 

636 Alice Lorraine. By R. D. Black- 

more. 1st half 20 

636 Alice liOrraine. By R. D. Black- 

more. 2d half 20 

650 Alice; or. The Mysteries. (A Se- 
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By Sir E. Bulwer Lytton — 20 
462 Alice’s Adventures in Wonder- 
land. By Lewis Carroll. With 
forty -two i 1 1 ustrations by John- 

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97 All in a Garden Fair. By Wal- 
ter Besant 20 

484 .\lthough He Was a Lord, and 

QtUer Tales, Mrs, Forrester. 10 


47 Altiora Peto. By Laurence Oli- 
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2.53 Amazon, The. By Carl Vosmaer 10 
447 American Notes. By Charles 

Dickens 20 

176 An April Day. By Philippa Prit- 

tie Jephson. . 10 

403 An English Squire. By C. R. 

Coleridge 20 

648 Angel of the Bells, The. By F. 

Du Boisgobey '. 20 

263 An Tshmaelite. By Miss M. E. 

Braddon 20 

154 Annan Water. By Robert Buch- 
anan 20 

200 An Old Man’s Love. By Anthony 

Trollope ; 10 

93 Anthony Trollope’s Autobiog- 
raphy 20 

395 Archipelago on Fire, The. By 

Jules Verne 10 

532 Arden Court. Barbara Graham 20 
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Charlotte M. Yonge 10 

224 Arundel Motto, The. By Mary 

Cecil Hay 20 

347 As Avon Flows. By Henry Scott 

Vince 20 

541 ” As it Fell Upon a Day.” By 
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Jack. By Walter Besant 10 

560 Asphodel. By Mi.ss Braddon. 20 
540 At a High Price. By E. Werner 20 
352 At Any Cost. By Edw. Garrett 10 
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528 At His Gates. By 3Irs. Oliphant 20 
192 At the World’s Mercy. By F. 

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287 At War With Herself. By Char- 
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” Dora Thorne ” 10 

737 Aunt Rachel. By David Christie 

Murray JQ 


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730 Autobiography of Benjamin 
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328 Babiole, the Pretty Milliner. 
(Translated from the French 
of Fortune Du Boisgobey.) 


First half 20 

328 Babiole, the Pretty Milliner. 
(Translated from the French 
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Second half 20 

241 Baby’s Grandmother, The. By 

L. B. Walford 10 

342 Baby, The, and One New Year’s 

Eve. By “ The Duchess ” 10 

611 Babylon. By Cecil Power 20 

443 Bachelor of the Albany, The. . . 10 
683 Bachelor Vicar of Newforth, 
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65 Back to the Old Home. By 

Mary Cecil Hay 10 

551 Barbara Heathcote's Trial. By 

Rosa Nouchette Carey 20 

99 Barbara’s History. By Amelia 

B. Edwards * 20 

234 Barbara; or, Splendid Misery. 

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91 Barnaby Rudge. By Charles 

Dickens. First half 20 

91 Barnaby Rudge. By Charles 

Dickens. Second half .... 20 

653 Barren Title, A. T. W. Speight 10 
731 Bayou Bride, The. By Mrs. 

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717 Beau Tancrede; or, the Mar- 
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593 Berna Boyle. By Mrs. J. H. 

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581 Betrothed, The. (I Promessi 
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620 Between the Heather and the 

Northern Sea. By M. Linskill 20 
466 Between Two Loves. By Char- 
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476 Between Two Sins. By Char- 
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“ Dora Thorne ” 10 

483 Betwixt My Love and Me 10 

308 Beyond Pardon 20 

257 Beyond Recall. By Adeline Ser- 


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653 Birds of Prey. By Miss M. E. 

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320 Bit of Human Nature, A. By 

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411 Bitter Atonement, A. B.y Char- 
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“ Dora Thorne ” 20 

430 Bitter Reckoning, A. By the au- 

thor ot “ By Crooked Paths ” 10 


353 Black Dwarf, The, and A Le- 
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302 Blatchford Bequest, The. By 
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“Called Back” 10 

106 Bleak House. By Charles Dick- 
ens. First half 20 

106 Bleak House. By Charles Dick- 
ens. Second half 20 

429 Boulderstone ; or, New Men and 
Old Populations. By William 

Sime 10 

394 Bravo, The. By J. Fenimore 

Cooper 20 

362 Bride of Lammermoor, The. 

By Sir Walter Scott 20 

259 Bride of Monte- Cristo, The. A 
Sequel to “ The Count of 
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642 Britta. By George Temple 10 

54 Broken Wedding-Ring, A. By 
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317 By^ Mead and Stream. By Chas. 

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58 By the Gate of the Sea. By D. 
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739 Caged Lion, The. By Charlotte 

M. Yonge 20 

240 Called Back. By Hugh Conway 10 
602 Camiola: A Girl With a Fortune. 

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186 Canon’s Ward, The, By James 

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149 Captain’s Daughter, The. From 

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555 Cara Roma. By Miss Grant 20 

711 Cardinal Sin, A. By Hugh Con- 
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Back ” 20 

502 Carriston’s Gift. By Hugh 
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Back ” 10 

364 Castle Dangerous. By Sir Wal- 
ter Scott 10 

740 Cavalry Life ; or, Sketches and 

Stories in Barracks and Out. 

By J. S. Winter 20 

419 Chainbearer, The; or, The Lit- 
tlepage Manuscripts. B3' J. 

Fenimore Cooper 20 

212 Charles O’Malley, the Irish 
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212 Charles 0’Malle,v, the Irish 
Dragoon. By’ (Charles Lever. 

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554 Charlotte’s Inheritance. (A Se- 
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Miss M. E. Braddon 20 

6] COiarlotte Temple. By Mrs. 

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588 Cherry. '•By’ the author of “A 
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676 Child’s History of England, A. 

By Charles Dickens 

657 Christmas Angel. By B. L. Fai*- 

jeon 

631 Christowell. By R. D. Blackmore 
507 Chronicles of the Canongate, 
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Walter Scott 

6.32 Clara Vaughan. ByR.D. Black- 
more 

33 Clique of Gold, The. By Emile 

Gaboriau 

499 Cloven Foot, The. By Miss BI. 

E. Braddon 

493 Colonel Enderby’s Wife. By 

Lucas Blalet 

221 Cornin’ Thro’ the Rye. By Helen 

B. Mathers 

523 Consequences of a Duel, The. 

By F. Du Boisgobey. . 

547 Coquette’s Conquest, A. By 

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104 Coral Pin, The. By F. Du Bois- 
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104 Coral Pin, The. B}' F. Du Bois- 

gobe}”^. 2d half 

598 Corinna. By “Rita” 

262 Count of Blonte-Cristo, The. 

By Alexander Dumas. Part I 
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687 Country Gentleman, A. By BIrs. 

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590 Courting of Blary Smith, The. 

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258 Cousins. By L. B. Walford 

649 Cradle and Spade. By William 

Sime 

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376 Crime of Christmas Day, The. 
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My Poor Wife. By the author 

of “ Addie’s Husband ” 

544 Cut by the County; or, Grace 
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don 

446 Dame Durden. By ” Rita ”... 

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^ Daniel Deronda. By George 
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iam Black 20 

Daughter of the Stars, The, and 
Other Tales. By Hugh Con- 
way. author of “ Called 

Back ” 10 

David Copperfield. By Charles 

Dickens. Vol. 1 20 

David Copperfield. By Charles 

Dickens. Vol. II.. 20 

Days of Bly Life. The. B3’^ BIrs. 

Oliphant 20 

Dead Heart, A, and Lady Gwen- 
doline’s Dream. By Charlotte 
M. Braeme, author of “ Dora 

Thorne ” 10 

Dead Man’s Secret, The. By Dr. 

Jupiter Paeon 20 

Dead Men’s Shoes. By Bliss M. 

E. Braddon 20 

Deldee ; or. The Iron Hand. B3' 

F. Warden 20 

Diamond Cut Diamond. By T. 

Adolphus Trollope 10 

Diana Carew ; or. For a Wom- 
an's Sake. By BIrs. Forrester 20 
Diana of the Crossw'ays. By 

George Bleredith 10 

Diavola; or. Nobody’s Daugh- 
ter. By Miss BI. E. Braddon. 

Part 1 20 

Diavola: or. Nobody’s Daugh- 
ter. By Bliss BI. E. Braddon. 

Part II 20 

Dick Sand; or, A Captain at 
Fifteen. By Jules Verne — 20 
Dick’s Sweetheart. By “ The 

Duchess ” 20 

Dissolving Views. Bj* BIrs. An- 
drew Lang 10 

Dita. By Lady Blargaret Bla- 

jendie 10 

Doctor Jacob. By Bliss Betham- 

Edwards 20 

Doctor’s Wife, The. By Bliss BI. 

E. Braddon 20 

Dolores. By BIrs. Forrester. . . 20 
Dombey and Son. By Charles 

Dickens. First half 20 

Dombey and Son. By Charles 

Dickens. Second half 20 

Donal Grant. By George Blac- 

Donald 20 

Don Gesualdo. By“Ouida.”.. 10 
Dora Thorne. By Charlotte M. 

Braeme 20 

Doris. By “ The Duchess ” 10 

Dorothy Forster. By Walter 

Besant 20 

Dorothy’s Venture. By Blaiy 

Cecil Hay 20 

Dove in the Eagle’s Nest, The. 

By Charlotte BI. Yonge ; .. 20 

Drawn Game, A. By Basil ^ 

Diicie Diamonds, The. B3' C. 
Blatherwick. , 10 


301 

20 609 

10 81 

20 251 

10 

20 

22 

10 22 

20 527 

10 305 

20 

20 374 

20 567 

20 286 

20 115 

20 744 

20 350 

10 

478 

20 

20 478 

20 

87 

20 

20 486 

20 536 

20 185 

20 594 

529 

10 

721 

107 

10 

107 

10 

282 

20 

671 

51 

10 284 

230 

10 678 

20 665 

20 

151 

20 


THE 8EA&JEE LIBRARY.— Pocket Edition. 


549 Dudley Carleon ; or, The Broth- 
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E. Braddon 


465 Earl’s Atonement, The. By 
Charlotte M. Braeme, author 
of “ Dora Thorne ” ; . 

8 East L 3 mne. Bj" Mrs. Henry 

Wood 

685 England under Gladstone. 1880 
— 1885. By Justin H. McCar- 
thy', M.P 

521 Entangled. By E. Fairfax 
Byrrne 

625 Ereina; or. My Father’s Sin. 

By R. D. Blaekmore 

96 Erling the Bold. By R. M. Bal- 

lantyne 

90 Ernest Maltravers. By Sir E. Bul- 

wer Lytton 

162 Eugene Aram. By Sir E. Bulwer 

Ly'tton 

470 Evelj'n’s Folly. By Charlotte 
M. Braeme, author of “ Dora 

Thorne ” 

62 Executor, The. By Mrs. Alex- 
&od0i* 

13 Eyre’s Acquittal. By Helen B. 
Mathei’s 

319 Face to Face : A Fact in Seven 
Fables. By R. E. Francillon. 
538 Fair Country Maid, A. By E. 

Fairfax Byrrne 

261 Fair Maid, A. By F. W. Robin- 
son 

417 Fair Maid of Perth, The; or, 
St. Valentine’s Day. By Sir 
Walter Scott, Bart 

626 Fair Mystery, A. By Charlotte 

M. Braeme, author of “ Dora 

Thorne ” 

727 Fair Women. By Mrs. Forrester 
30 Faith and Unfaith. By “ The- 

Duchess” 

543 Family Affair, A. By Hugh 
Conway, author of ” Called 

Back ” 

338 Family Difflcuity, The. By Sa- 
rah Doudney 

690 Far From the Madding Crowd. 

By Thomas Hardj’ 

680 Fast and Loose. By Arthur 

Griffiths 

246 Fatal Dower, A. By the Author 
of ” His Wedded Wife ” .... 
299 Fatal Lilies, The, and A Bride 
from the Sea. By Charlotte 
M. Braeme, author of “Dora 

Thorne ” 

648 Fatal Marriage, A, and The 
Shadow in the Corner. By 

Miss M. E. Braddon 

693 Felix Holt, the Radical. By 

George Eliot 

542 Fenton’s Quest. By Miss M. E. 
Braddon 


File No. 113. By Emile Gabo- 

riau 20 

Finger of Fate, The. By Cap- 
tain Mayne Reid 20 

Fire Brigade, The. By R. M. 

Ballantyne 10 

First Person Singular. By Da- 
vid Christie Murray 20 

Fisher Village, The. By Anne 

Beale 10 

Flower of Doom, The, and 
Other Stories. By M. Betham- 

Edw'ards 10 

For Another’s Sin ; or, A Strug- 
gle for Love. By Charlotte M. 
Braeme, author of “ Dora 

Thorne ” 20 

“Fora Dream’s Sake.” By Mrs. 

Herbert Martin.. . 20 

Foreigners, The. By Eleanor C. 

Price 20 

For Her Dear Sake. By Mary 

Cecil Hay tO 

For Himself Alone. By T. W. 

Speight 10 

For Life and Love. By Alison. 10 
For Lilias. By Rosa Nouchette 

Carey 20 

For Maimie’s Sake. By Grant 

Allen 20 

“ For Percival.” By Margaret 

Veley 20 

Fortune’s Wheel. By “ The 

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Fortunes, Good and Bad, of a 
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Foul Plav. By Charles Reade . 20 

Found Out. By Helen B. 

Mathers 10 

Frank Fairlegh: or. Scenes 
From the Life of a Private 
Pupil. By Frank E. Smedley 20 

Friendship. By “Ouida” 20 

From Gloom to Sunlight. By 
Charlotte M. Braeme, author 

of “Dora Thorne” 10 

From Olympus to Hades. By 

Mrs. Forrester 20 

From Post to Finish. A Racing 
■ Romance. By Hawley Smart 20 

Gambler’s Wife, The 20 

George Christy; or. The Fort- 
unes of a Minstrel. By Tony 

Pastor 20 

Gerald. By Eleanor C. Price.. 20 
Ghost of Charlotte Cray, The, 
and Other Stories. By Flor- 
ence Marryat 10 

Ghost’s Touch, The, and Percy 
and the Prophet. By Wilkie 

Collins 10 

Giant’s Robe, The. By F. Anstey 20 
Gilded Sin, A, and A Bridge 
of Love. By Charlotte M. 
Braeme, author of “Dora 
Thorne” 10 


7 

575 

10 

95 

674 

20 199 

20 579 

20 745 

20 

20 156 

10 173 

20 197 

20 150 

278 

20 608 

20 712 

10 586 

171 

10 

468 

20 

20 216 

438 

20 333 

20 226 

20 288 

20 

732 

20 348 

10 

20 285 

365 

20 

10 331 

208 

10 613 

10 225 

300 

20 

20 


THE SEASIDE LlBllAlir.- Pocket Edition. 


644 Girton Girl, A. By Mrs. Annie 

Edwards 

140 Glorious Fortune, A. By Wal- 

^>^1* T1 f” 

647 Goblin Gold'. ' ' ‘By 'May 'Crom- 

melin 

450 Godfrey Helstone. By Georgi- 

ana M. Craik 

153 Golden Calf, The. By Miss M. 

E. Braddon 

306 Golden Dawn, A, and Love for a 
Day. By Charlotte M. Braeme, 
author of “ Dora Thorne ”... 
656 Golden Flood, The. By R. E. 

Francillon and Wm. Senior.. 
172 “ Golden Girls.” By Alan Muir 
292 Golden Heart, A. By Charlotte 
M. Braeme, author of “ Dora 

Thorne” 

667 Golden Lion of Granpere, The. 

By Anthony Trollope 

356 Good Hater, A. By Frederick 

Boyle 

710 Greatest Heiress in England, 

The. By Mrs. Oliphant 

439 Great Expectations. By Charles 

Dickens 

135 Great Heiress, A : A Fortune in 
Seven Checks. By R. E. Frau- 

cillon 

244 Great Jlistake, A . Bv the author 

of ” His Wedded Wife ” 

170 Great Treason, A. By Mary 

Hoppus 

. 138 Green Pastures and Piccadilly. 

By Wm. Black 

231 Griffith Gaunt; or. Jealousy, 

By Charles Reade 

077 Griselda. By the author of “ A 
Woman’s Love-Story” 


597 Haco the Dreamer. By William 

Sime 

668 Half-Way. An Anglo-French 

Romance 

663 Handy Andy. By Samuel Lover 
84 Hard Times. By Chas. Dickens 
622 Harry Heathcote of Gangoil. By 

Anthony Trollope 

191 Harry Lorrequer. By Charles 

Lever. .* 

569 Harry Muir. By Mrs. Oliphant 
169 Haunted Man, The. By Charles 

Dickens 

533 Hazel Kirke. By Marie Walsh 
385 Headsman, The; or, The Ab-. 
baye des Vignerons. By J. 

Fen i more Cooper 

572 Healey. By Jessie Fothergill. 
167 Heart and Science. By Wilkie 

Collins 

444 Heart of Jane Warner, The, B}'^ 

Florence Marryat 

391 Heart of Mid-Lothian, The. By 

Sir Walter Scott 

695 Hearts: Queen, Knave, and 
Deuce. By David Christie 
Murray 


Heiress of Hilldrop, The; or, 
The Romance of a Young 
Girl. By Charlotte M. Braeme, 
author of ” Dora Thorne ”... 20 
Heir Presumptive, The. By 

Florence Marryat 20 

Helen Whitney’s Wedding, and 
Other Tales. By Mrs. Henry 

Wood 10 

Henrietta’s Wish; or, Domi- 
neering. By Charlotte M. 

Yonge 10 

Her Gentle Deeds. By Sarah 

Tvtler 10 

Her Martyrdom. By Charlotte 
M. Braeme, author of “ Dora 

Thorne ” 20 

Her Mother’s Sin. By Charlotte 
M. Braeme, author of ” Dora 

Thorne ” 10 

Hidden Perils. Mary Cecil Hay 10 

Hidden Sin, The. A Novel 20 

Hilary's Folly. By Charlotte 
M. Braeme, author of “Dora 

Thorne” 10 

Hilda. By Charlotte M. Braeme, 
author of “ Dora Thorne ”... 10 
History of a Week, The. By 

Mrs. L, B. Walford 10 

History of Henry Esmond, The. 

By William M. Thackeray. . . 20 
His Wedded Wife, By author 
of “ Ladybird’s Penitence ” . . 20 
Homeward Bound; or, The 

Chase. By J. F. Cooper 20 

Home as Found. (Sequel to 
“ Homeward Bound.”) By J. 

Fenimore Cooper 20 

Hostages to Fortune. By Miss 

M. E. Braddon 20 

Houp-La. By John Strange 

Winter. (Ilhistrated) 10 

Hurrish: A Study. By the 

Hon. Emily Lawless 20 

House Divided Against Itself, 

A. By Mrs. Oliphant 20 

House on the Marsh, The. By 

F. Warden lo 

House on the Moor, The. By 

.Mrs, Oliphant 20 

House That Jack Built, The, 

By Alison lo 

Husband’s Story, A lO 

Ichabod. A Portrait. By Bertha 

Thomas lo 

Idonea. By Anne Beale 20 


J 

Ingledew House, and More Bit- 
ter than Death. By Charlotte 
M. Braeme, author of “ Dora 

Thorne ” lo 

In Cupid’s Net. By Charlotte 
M. Braeme, author of “ Dora 

Thorne ” jo 

In Durance Vile. By “ The 
Duchess ” 10 


741 

20 

10 

689 

10 

513 

20 

90 535 

10 160 

10 576 

20 

19 

10 

20 196 

518 

20 297 

20 

294 

20 

658 

10 165 

20 461 

30 378 

20 379 

20 

552 

20 

600 

748 

10 

703 

20 

20 248 

10 

351 

10 

481 

20 

20 198 

10 

20 389 

188 

20 715 

20 

303 

20 

20 

304 

20 

404 

20 

(5) 


TEE SEASIDE LIBRARY.— PoM Edition. 


3:24 In Luck at Last. By Walter 

Besant 10 

67-2 In Maremma. By Ouida.” 1st 

half . 20 

672 In Maremma. By “Ouida.” 2d 

half 20 

604 Innocent: A Tale of Modern 
Life. Bi’^ Mrs. Oliphant. Fii’st 

Half 20 

604 Innocent: A Tale of Modern 
Life. By Mrs. Oliphant. Sec- 
ond Half 20 

.577 In Peril and Privation. By 

James Payn 10 

6:I8 In Quarters with the 25th (The 
Black Hors.e) Dragoons. By 

J. S. Winter 10 

759 In Shallow Waters. By Annie 

Armitt 20 

39 In Silk Attire. By William Black 20 
738 In the Golden Days. By Edna 

Lyall 20 

682 In the Middle Watch. By W. 

Clark Russell 20 

452 In the West Countrie. By May 

Crommelin 20 

383 Introduced to Society. By Ham- 
ilton Aid6 10 

122 lone Stewart. By Mrs. E. Lynn 

Linton 20 

233 “ I Say No or, The Love-Let- 
ter Answered. By Wilkie Col- 
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235 “ It is Never Too Late to Mend.” 

By Charles Reade 20 

28 Ivanhoe. By Sir Walter Scott. 20 

5.34 Jack. By Alphonse Daudet 20 

416 Jack Tier ; or, The Florida Reef. 

By J. Fenimore Cooper, 20 

743 Jack’s Cpurtship. By W. Clark 

Russell. 1st half 20 

743 Jack’s Courtship. By W. Clark 

Russell. 2d half 20 

519 James Gordon's Wife, A Novel 20 
15 Jane Eyre. By Charlotte Bront6 20 
728 Janet’s Repentance. By George 

Eliot 10 

142 Jenifer. By Annie Thomas 20 

357 John. By Mrs. Oliphant 20 

203 John Bui! and His Island. By 

MaxO’Rell 10 

289 John Bull’s Neighbor in Her 
True Light. By a “Brutal 

Saxon”... 10 

11 John Halifax, Gentleman. By 

Miss Mulock 20 

209 John Holdsworth, Chief Mate. 

By W. Clark Russell 10 

694 John Maidment. By Julian 

Sturgis 20 

.570 John Marchmont’s Legacy. By 

Miss M. E. Braddon 20 

488 Joshua Haggard’s Daughter. 

By Miss M. E. Braddon 20 

619 Joy; or. The Light of Cold- 
Home Ford. By May Crom- 
melin 20 


265 Judith Shakespeare : Her Love 
Affairs and Other Advent- 


ures. By William Black 20 

332 Judith Wynne • ^ 

80 June. By Mrs. Forrester ^ 

561 Just As I Am. By Miss M. E. 
Braddon 20 


126 Kilmeny. By William Black.. 20 
435 Klytia: A Story of Heidelberg 

Castle. By George Taylor. . . 20 


733 Lady Branksmere. By “The 

Duchess” 20 

35 Lady Audley’s Secret. By Miss 

M. E. Braddon 20 

219 Lady Clare ; or. The Master of 
the Forges. From the French 

of Georges Olinet 10 

469 Lady Darner’s. Secret. By Char- 
lotte M. Braeme, author of 
“Dora Thorne” 20 

268 Lady Gay’s Pride; or. The Mi- 

ser’s Treasure. B 3 ’^ Mrs. Alex. 

McVeigh Miller 20 

506 Lady Lovelace. Bj^ the author 

of “Judith Wynne” 20 

155 Lady Muriel’s Seci’et. By Jean 

Middlemas 20 

161 . Lady of Lyons, The. Founded 
on the Play of that title by 

Lord Lytton *. 10 

497 Lady’s Mile, The. By Miss M. 

E. Braddon 20 

652 Lady With the Rubies, The. By 
E. Marlitt 20 

269 Lancaster’s Choice. By Mrs. 

Alex. McVeigh Miller 20 

599 Lancelot Ward, M.P. By George 

Temple 10 

32 Land Leaguers, The. By An- 
thony Trollope 20 

684 Ijast Days at Apswich 10 

40 Last Days of Pompeii, The. By 
Bulwer Lytton 20 


130 Last of the Barons, The, By Sir 


E. Bulwer Lytton. 1st half. . 20 
130 Last of the Barons, The. By Sir 

E. Bulwer Lytton. 2d half.. 20 
60 Last of the Mohicans, The. By 

J. Fenimore Cooper 20 

267 Laurel Vane; or. The Girls’ 
Conspiracy. By Mrs. Alex. 

McVeigh Miller 20 

455 Lazarus in London. By F. W. 

Robinson 20 

386 Led Astray ; or, “ La Petite 

Comtesse.” Octave Feuillet. 10 
164 Leila ; or, The Siege of Grenada. 

By Bulwer Lytton 10 

408 Lester’s Secret. By Mary Cecil 

Hay 20 

562 Lewis Arundel; or. The Rail- 
road of Life. By Frank E. 

Smedley 20 

437 Life and Adventures of Martin 
Chuzzlewit.- By Charles.Dick- 
ens. First half 5J0 


( 6 ) 


TBE SEAl:^lD1i: LlBllAliY.— Pocket Edition. 


437 Life and Adventures of Martin 
Chuzzlewit. By Charles Dick- 
ens. Second half 30 

698 Life’s Atonement, A. By David 

Christie Murray 20 

617 Like Dian’s Kiss. By “ Rita 20 
402 Lilliesleaf ; or, Passages in the 
Life of Mrs. Margaret Mait- 
land of Sunnyside. By Mrs. 


Oliphant 20 

397 Lionel Lincoln ; or, The Leaguer 
of Boston, By J. Feniiiiore 

Cooper 20 

94 Little Dorrit. By Charles Dick- 
ens. First half 20 

94 Little Dorrit. B3' Charles Dick- 
ens. Second half 20 

279 Little Goldie : A Story of Worn: 
an’s Love. By Mrs. Sumner 

Hayden 20 

109 Little Loo. By W. Clark Russell 20 
179 Little Make-Believe. By B. L. 

Farjeon 10 

45 Little Pilgrim, A. By Mrs. Oli- 
phant 10 

272 Little Savage, The. By Captain 

Marryat 10 

111 Little School-master Mark, The. 

By J. H. Shorthouse 10 

92 Lord Lj^nne’s Choice. By Char- 
lotte M. Braeme, author of 

“Dora Thorne” 10 

749 Lord Vanecourt’s Daughter. By 

Mabel Collins 20 

67 Lorna Doone. By R. D. Black- 

more. First half 20 

67 Lorna Doone. By R. D. Black- 

more. Second half 20 

473 Lost Son, A. By Mary Linskill. 10 
354 Lotterv of Life, The. A Story 
of ^^ew York Twenty Years 
Ago. By John Brougham .. 20 
453 Lottery Ticket, The. By F. Du 

Boisgobey 20 

479 Louisa. By Katharine S. Mac- 

quoid 20 

742 Love and Life. By Cliarlotte 

M. Yontre 20 

24'3 Love and Mirage; or. The Wait- 
ing on an Island. By M. 

Betham-Ed wards. . 10 

232 Love and Money'; or, A Peril- 
ous Secret. By Chas. Reade. 10 


146 Love Finds the Way, and Other 
Stories. By Walter Besant 

and James Rice 10 

313 Lover’s Creed, The. By Mrs. 

Cashel Hoey 20 

573 Love’s Harvest, B. L. Farjeon 20 

175 Love’s Random Shot. By Wilkie 

Collins 10 

757 Love’s Martyr. By Laurence 

Alma Tadema 10 

291 Love’s Warfare. By Charlotte 
M. Braeme, author of “ Dora 

Thorne” 10 

118 Loys, Lord Berresford. and Eric 
Dering. By “ The Duchess ” 10 


582 Lucia, Hugh and Another. By 

Mrs. J. H. Needell 20 

589 Luck of the Darrells, The. By 

James Payn 20 

370 Lucy Croftou. By Mrs. Oliphant 10 

44 Macleod of Dare. By William 

Black 20 

526 Madame De Presnel. By E. 

Frances Poynter 20 

345 Madam. By Mrs. Oliphant 20 

78 Madcap Violet. By Wm, Black 20 
510 Mad Love, A. By the author of 

“Lover and Lord” 10 

69 Madolin’s Lover. By Charlotte 
M. Braeme, author of “Dora 

Thorne” 20 

341 Madolin Rivers; or, The Little 
Beauty of Red Oak Seminary. 

By' Laura Jean Libbey 20 

377 Magdalen Hepburn ; A Story of 
the Scottish Reformation. By 

Mrs. Oliphant 20 

449 Maiden All Forlorn, A, and Bar- 
bara. By “ The Duchess ”... 10 
64 Maiden Fair, A. Charles Gibbon 10 
121 Maid of Athens. By Justin 

McCarthy 20 

633 Maid of ^ker. The. By R D. 

Blackmore. 1st half 20 

633 Maid of Sker, The. By R. D. 

Blackmore. 2d half 20 

229 Maid, Wife, or Widow? By 

Mrs. Alexander 10 

702 Man and Wife, By Wilkie Col- 
lins. First half 20 

702 Man and Wife. By Wilkie Col- 
lins. Second half 20 

688 Man of Honor, A. By John 

Strange Winter. Illustrated. 10 
217 Man Siie Cared For, The. By 
F. W. Robinson 20 

371 Margaret Maitland. By Mrs. 

Oliphant 20 

451 Market Harborough, and Inside 
the Bar. G. J. Whyte-Melville 20 
334 Marriage of Convenience, A. 

By Harriett Jay 10 

480 Married in Haste. Edited by 

Miss M. E. Braddon 20 

615 Mary Anerley. By R. D. Black- 

more 20 

132 Master Humphrey’s Clock. By 

Charles Dickens 10 

646 Master of the Mine, The. By 

Robert Buchanan 20 


578 Mathias Sandorf. By Jules 

Verne. (Illustrated.) Parti. 10 
578 Mathias Sandorf. By Jules 

Verne. (Illustrated.) Part II 10 
578 Mathias Sandorf. By' Jules 

Verne. (Illustrated.) Part III 10 
398 Matt: A Tale of a Caravan. 

By Robert Buchanan 10 

723 Matileverer’s Millions. By T. 

Wemyss Reid 20 

330 May Blossom : or. Between Two 
Loves. By Margaret Lee. ... 20 


( 7 ) 


THE SEASIDE LIBRARY. -Pocket Edition. 


337 Memoirs and Resolutions of 
Adam Graeme of Mossgray, 
including some Chronicles of 
the Borough of Fendie. 

Mrs. Oliphant 

424 Mercedes of Castile; or, Tlie 
Voyage to Cathay. By J. Fen- 

imore Cooper 

406 Merchant’s Clerk, The. By Sam- 
uel Warren 

31 Middlemarch. By George Eliot. 

First half 

31 Middlemarch. By George Eliot. 

Second half 

187 Midnight Sun, The, ByFredrika 

Bremer 

729 Mignon. By Mrs. Forrester... 
492 Mignon ; or, Booties’ Baby. By 

J. S. Winter 

692 Mikado, The. and other Comic 
Operas. Written by W. S. 
Gilbert. Composed by Arthur 

Sullivan 

390 Mildred Trevanion. By “ The 

Duchess ” 

414 Miles Wallingford. (Sequel to 
“ Afloat and Ashore.”) By J. 

Fenimore Cooper 

3 Mill on the Floss, The. By 

George Eliot 

157 Milly’s Hero. By F. W. Robinson 

182 Millionaire. The 

205 Minister’s Wife, The. By Mrs. 

Oliphant 

399 Miss Brown. By Vernon Lee. . 
369 Miss Bretherton. By Mrs. Hum- 
phry Ward 

245 Miss Tommy. By Miss Mulock 
315 Mistletoe Bough, The. Edited 

by Miss M. E. Braddon 

618 Mistletoe Bough, The. Christ- 
mas, 1885. Edited by Miss M. 

E. Braddon 

298 Mitchelhurst Place. By Marga- 
ret Veley 

584 Mixed Motives 

2 Molly Bawn. By “ The Duch- 
ess ” 

159 Moment of Madness, A, and 
Other Stories. By Florence 

Marryat 

125 Monarch of Mincing Lane, The. 

By William Black 

201 Monastery, The. By Sir Walter 

Scott '. 

119 Monica, and A Rose Distill’d. 

By “The Duchess” 

431 Monikins, The. By J. Fenimore 

Cooper 

26 Monsieur Lecoq. By Emile 

Gaboriau. Vol. I 

26 Monsieur Lecoq. By Emile 

Gaboriau. Vol. II 

166 Moonshine and Marguerites. 

By “ The Duchess ” 

102 Moonstone, The. Wilkie Collins 
178 More Leaves from the Journal 
of a Life in the Highlands. 
By Queoft Victoria 


Moths. By “Ouida” 20 

Mount Royal. By Miss M. E. 

Braddon 20 

Mr. Butler’s Ward. By F. Mabel 

Robinson 20 

Mrs. Carr’s Companion, By M. 

G. Wightwick 10 

Mrs. Dymond. By Miss Thacke- 
ray 20 

Mrs. Geoffrey. By “ The Duch- 
ess ” 20 

Mrs. Hollyer. By Georgiana 31. 

Craik 20 

3Irs. Keith’s Grime 10 

3Irs. Lirriper’s Lodgings. By 

Charles Dickens. 10 

3Ir. Smith : A Part of His Life. 

By L. B. Walford 20 

Mrs. Smith of Longmains. By 
Rhoda Broughton, and Oli- 
ver’s Bride. By Mrs. Oliphant 10 
3Irs. Vereker’s Courier Maid. 

By 3Irs. Alexander 10 

3Iurder or Manslaughter? By 

Helen B. Mathers 10 

My Ducats and My Daughter. 

By the author of “ The Crime 

of Christmas Day” 20 

My Friends and I. Edited by 

Julian Sturgis 10 

3Iy Hero. By 3Ii-s, Forrester.. 20 
3Iy Lady’s 3ioney. By Wilkie 

Collins 10 

3Iy Lord and My Lady. By 

3Irs. Forrester 20 

My Sister Kate. By Charlotte 
31. Braeme, author of “ Dora 
Thorne,” and A Rainy June. 

By “ Ouida ” 10 

Mysteries of Paris, The. By Eu- 
gene Sue. Part I 20 

3Iysteries of Paris, The. By Eu- 
gene Sue. Part II 20 

3Iysterious Hunter, The; or. 
The 3Ian of Death. By Capt. 

L. C. Carleton , 20 

3Iystery of Allan Grale, The. By 

Isabella Fy vie 3Iayo 20 

3Iystery of Edwin Drood, The. 

By Chas. Dickens 20 

3Iystery of Jessy Page, The, 
and Other Tales. By 3Irs. 

Henry Wood 10 

3Iystery of Orcival, The. By 

Emile Gaboriau 20 

3Ivstery, The. By 3Irs. Henry 

Wood 20 

3Iy Ten Years’ Imprisonment. 

By Silvio Pellico 10 

3Iy Wife’s Niece. By the author 
of “Doctor Edith Romney ”. 20 
My Young Alcides. By Char- 
lotte 31. Yonge 20 


Nabob, The: A Story of Paris- 
ian Life and Manners. By Al- 
phonse Daudet 20 

Nancy. Ry {Ihod^ Broughtop. §0 


116 

495 

501 

20 

113 

20 675 

10 25 

20 606 

20 546 

440 

10 

20 256 

10 645 

339 

20 

635 

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405 

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20 623 

30 724 

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433 

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271 

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20 

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( 8 ) 


THE SEASIDE IJ BRA RY.— Pocket Edition. 


509 Nell Haffenden. By Tighe Hop- 
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181 New Abelard, The. By Robert 

Buchanan 

464 Newcomes, The. By William 
Makepeace Thackeray. Part 


464 Newcomes, The. By William 
Makepeace Thackeray. Part 

II 

52 New Magdalen, The. By Wilkie 

Collins 

37 Nicholas Nickleby. By Charles 

Dickens. First half 

37 Nicholas Nickleby. By Charles 

Dickens. Second half 

105 Noble Wife, A. John Saunders 
.565 No Medium. By Annie Thomas 
614 No. 99. By Arthur Griffiths... 
290 Nora’s Love Test. By Mary 

Cecil Hay 

595 North Country Maid, A. By 

Mrs. H. Lovett Cameron 

168 No Thoroughfare. By Dickens 

and Collins 

215 Not Like Other Girls. By Rosa 

Nouchette Carey. . . 

640 Nuttie’s Father. By Charlotte 
M. Yonge 


425 Oak-Openings, The; or, The 
Bee-Hunter. By J. Fenimoi'e 

Cooper 

211 Octoroon, The 

183 Old Contrairy, and Other Sto- 
ries. By Florence Marryat.. 
10 Old Curiosity Shop, The. By 

Charles Dickens 

410 Old Lady Mary. By Mrs. Oli- 

phant * 

72 Old Myddelton’s Money. By 

Mary Cecil Hay 

41 Oliver Twist. By Chas. Dickens 

505 Ombra. By Mrs. Oliphant 

280 Omnia Vanitas. A. Tale of So- 
ciety. By Mrs. Forrester 

143 One False, Both Fair. By John 

B. Harwood 

384 On Horseback Through Asia 
Minor. By Captain Fred Bur- 
naby 

498 Only a Clod. By Miss M. E. 

Braddon 

496 Only a Woman. Edited by Miss 

M. E. Braddon 

655 Open Door, The, and The Por- 
trait. By Mrs. Oliphant 

708 Ormond. By Maria Edgeworth 
12 Other People’s Money. By 

Emile Gaboriau 

639 Othmar. By “Ouida” 

131 Our Mutual Friend. By Charles 

Dickens. First half 

131 Our Mutual Friend. By Charles 

Dickens. Second half 

747 Our Sensation Novel. Edited 

by Justin H. McCarthy, M.P. 


Pair of Blue Eyes, A. By Thom- 
as Hardy 

Parson o’ Dumford, The. By 

G. Manville Fenn 20 

Pascarel. By “Ouida” 20 

Passive Crime, A, and Other 

Stories. By “ The Duchess ” 10 
Pathfinder, The. By J. Feni- 

more Cooper 20 

Paul Clifford. By Sir E. BUlwer 

Lvtton, Bart 20 

Paul Crew’s Story. By Alice 

Comyns Cart* 10 

Paul Vargas, and Other Stories. 

By Hugh Conway, author of 

“Called Back” 10 

Peeress and Player. By Flor- 
ence Marryat 20 

Peril. By Jessie Fothergill ... 20 
Perpetual Curate, The. By Mrs. 

Oliphant 20 

Peter the Whaler. By William 

H. G. Kingston 10 

Peveril of the Peak. By Sir 

Walter Scott 20 

Phan tastes. A Faerie Romance 
for Men and Women. By 

Gedrge Macdonald 10 

Phantom Fortune. By Miss M. 

E. Braddon 20 

Philistia. By Cecil Power 20 

Philosophy of Whist, The. By 
William Pole •. ... 20 


Phyllis. By “ The Duchess ” . . 20 
Phyllis’ Probation. By the au- 
thor of “ His Wedded Wife ”. 10 
Piccadilly. Laurence Oliphant 10 
Pickwick Papers. By Charles 

Dickens. Vol. 1 20 

Pickwick Papers. Bj’^ Charles 

Dickens. Vol. IT 20 

Pictures From Italj", and The 
Mudfog Papers, &c. By Chas. 

Dickens 20 

Picture, The, and Jack of All 
Trades. By Charles Reade. . . 10 
Pi6douche, a French Detective. 

By Fortun6 Du Boisgobey... 10 
Pioneers, The ; or, The Sources 
of the Susquehanna. By J. 

Fenimore Cooper 20 

Pirate, The. By Sir Walter Scott 20 
Polish Jew', The. (Translated 
from the French by Caroline 
A. Merighi.) By Erckmann- 

Chatrian 10 

Portent, The. B3' George Mac- 
donald 10 

Portia. By “ The Duchess ”... 20 
Poverty Corner. By G. Manville 

Fenn 20 

Prairie, The. By J. Fenimore 

Cooper 20 

Precaution. By J. Fenimore 

Cooper 20 

Pretty Jailer, The, By F. Du 

Boisgobey. 1st half.”. 20 

Pretty Jailer, The. By F. Du 
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530 

20 

587 

10 

238 

517 

20 

309 

20 720 

10 671 

20 626 

20 

20 449 

10 

10 314 

568 

20 

133 

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392 

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326 

20 

20 56 

336 

669 

16 

20 372 

10 

537 

10 24 

20 24 

10 448 

20 

20 206 

20 

264 

10 

318 

20 

393 

20 329 

20 

20 325 

10 6 

20 558 

20 310 

20 

422 

20 

697 

20 

697 

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( 9 ) 


THE SEASIDE TABllAUT.—Pockci Edlimu 


207 Pretty Miss Neville. By B. M. 

Croker 

475 Prima Donna’9 Husband, The. 

By F. Du Boisgobey 

531 Prime Minister, The. By An- 
thony Trollope. First Half . . 
531 Prime Minister, The. By An- 
thony Trollope. Second Half 
C24 Primus in Indis. By M. J. Col- 

quhoun 

249 “ Prince Charlie's Daughter.” 
By Charlotte M. Braeme, au- 
thor of “ Dora Thorne ” 

556 Prince of Darkness, A. By F. 

Warden 

704 Prince Otto. By R. L. Steven- 
son 

228 Princess Napraxine. “ Ouida ” 
23 Pi’iucess of Thule, A. By Will- 
iam Black 

88 Privateei'sman, The. By Cap- 
tain Marry at 

321 Prodigals, The: And Their In- 
heritance. By Mrs. Oliphant. 
144 Promises of Marriage. By Emile 

Gaboriau 

260 Proper Pride. By B. M. Croker 
516 Put Asunder; or. Lady Castle- 
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lotte M. Braeme, author of 

“Dora Thorne” 

487 Put to the Test. Edited by 

Miss M. E. Braddon 

214 Put Yourself in His Place. By 
Charles Reade 

68 Queen Amongst Women, A. By 
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of “Dora Thorne” 

591 Queen of Hearts, The. By Wil- 
kie Collins 


20 

20 

20 

20 

10 


580 

361 

421 


427 


10 

20 

10 

20 

20 


20 


237 

740 

375 


396 

190 


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10 


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20 

20 


66 

139 

42 

360 

664 

670 

103 

296 


10 

20 


193 

129 

180 


641 Rabbi’s Spell, The. By Stuart 

C. Cumberland 

147 Rachel Ray. By Anthony Troll- 
ope 

661 Rainbow Gold. By David Chris- 
tie Mun-ay ... 

700 Ralph the Heir. By Anthony 

Trollope. First half 

700 Ralph the Heir. By Anthony 

Trollope. Second half 

442 Ranthorpe. By George Henry 

Lewes 

327 Raymond’s Atonement. (From 
tiie German of E. Werner.) 

By Christina Tyrrell 

210 Readiana: Comments on Cur- 
rent Events. By Chas. Reade 
381 Red Cardinal, The, By Frances 

Elliot 

73 Redeemed by Love. By Char- 
lotte M. Braeme, author of 

“Dora Thorne” 

89 Red Eric, The. By R. M. Ballan- 

tyne 

463 Redgauntlet. By Sir Walter 
Scott 


10 

20 

20 

20 

20 

20 

20 

10 

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566 

736 

409 

489 

457 

616 

223 

177 

420 

660 

660 

699 


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( 10 ) 


Red Route, The. By William 

Sime 20 

Red Rover, The. A Tale of the 
Sea. By J. Fenimore Cooper 20 
Redskins, The; or, Indian and 
In jin. Being the conclusion 
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By J. Fenimore Cooper 20 

Remarkable History of Sir 
Thomas Upmore, Bart., M.P., 
The. Formerly known as 
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D. Blackmore 20 

Repented at Leisure. By Char- 
lotte M. Braeme, author of 

“Dora Thorne” 20 

Rhona. By Mrs. Forrester 20 

Ride to Khiva, A. By Captain 

Fred Burnaby 20 

Robert Ord’s Atonement. By 

Rosa Nouchette Carey 20 

Pomance of a Black Veil. By 
Charlotte M. Braeme, author 

of “ Dora Thorne 10 

Romance of a Poor Young Man, 

The. By Octave Feuillet 10 

Romantic Adventures of a Milk- 
maid, The. By Thomas Hardy 10 

Romola. By George Eliot 20 

Ropes of Sand. By R. E. Francil- 

lon 20 

Rory O’More. By Samuel Lover 20 
Rose and the Ring, The. B3' 

W. M. Thackeraj' 10 

Rose Fleming. By Dora Russell 10 
Rose in Thorns, A. By Char- 
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“Dora Thorne” 10 

Rosery Folk, The. By G, Man- 

ville Fenn 10 

Rossmoyne. By “ The Duchess ” 10 
Round the Galley Fire. Bj’^ W. 

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Ro.yal Highlanders, The; or, 
The Black Watch in Egypt. 

By James Grant 20 

Roy and Viola. Mrs. Forrester 20 
Roy’s Wife. By G. J. Whyte- 

Melville 20 

Rupert Godwin. By Miss M. E. 

Braddon 20 

Russians at the Gates of Herat, 
The. By Charles Marvin. ... 10 


Sacred Nugget, The. By B. L. 

Farjeon 20 

Sailor’s Sweetheart, A. By W. 

Clark Russell 20 

Salem Chapel. By Mrs. Oliphant 20 
Satanstoe;* or. The Littlepage 
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Scottish Chiefs, I'he. By Miss 

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Scottish Chiefs, The. By Miss 

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Sculptor’s Daughter, The. By 
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TEE SEASIDE LIBRARY.— Pocket Edition. 


699 Sculptor’s Daughter, The. By 

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441 Sea Change, A. By Flora L. 

Shaw 

82 Sealed Lips. F. Du Boisgobey. 
423 Sea Lions, The; or. The Lost 
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85 Sea Queen, A. By W. Clark 
Russell 

490 Second Life, A. By Mrs. Alex- 

ander 

101 Second Thoughts. By Rhoda 

Broughton 

387 Secret of the Cliffs, The. By 

Charlotte French 

607 Self-Doomed. By B. L. Farjeon 
651 “ Self or Bearer.” By Walter 

Besant 

474 Serapis. An Historical Novel. 

By George Ebers 

445 Shadow of a Crime, The. By 

Hall Caine 

293 Shadow of a Sin, The. By Char- 
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18 Shandon Bells. By Wm. Black 
418 St. Ronan’s Well. By Sir Walter 

Scott 

141 She Loved Him! By Annie 

Thomas 

520 She's All the World to Me, By 
Hftll Ofti 

57 Shirley. By Cliariotte Bront6. 

239 Signa. By “Ouida” 

707 Silas Marner: The Weaver of 
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639 Silvermead. By Jean Middle- 

mas 

681 Singer’s Story, A. By May 

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252 Sinless Secret, A. By “ Rita ” 
283 Sin of a Lifetime, ""The. By 
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515 Sir Jasper’s Tenant. By Miss 

M. E. Braddon 

643 Sketch-book of Geoffrey Cray- 
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4.56 Sketches by Boz. Illustrative 
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ens 

601 Slings, and Arrows, and other 
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491 Society in London, By a For- 

eign Resident 

505 Society of London, The. By 

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114 Some of Our Girls. By Mrs, C. 

J. Eiloart 

412 Some One Else. Bv B. M. Croker 
194 “So Near, and Yet So Far!” 

By Alison 

368 Southern Star, The ; or. The Dia- 
mond Land. By Jules Verne 
63 Spy, The. By J. Fenimore 
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Squire’s Legacy, The. By Mary 

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Starling, The. By Norman 

Macleod, D.D 10 

Stella. By Fanny Lewald 20 

“ Storm-Beaten God and The 
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Story of a Sin. By Helen B. 

Mathers 20 

Story of Dorothy Grape, The, 
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Story of Ida, The. By Francesca 10 
Strange Adventures of a Phae- 
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Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and 
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Strangers and Pilgrims. By 

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Strange Story, A. By Sir E. 

Bulwer Lytton 20 

Strange Voyage, A. By W. 

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Strange World, A. By Miss M. 

E. Braddon 20 

Struck Down. By Hawley Smart 10 
Struggle for a Ring, A. By Char- 
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Struggle for Fame, A. By Mrs. 

J. H. Riddell 20 

Sun-Maid, The. By Miss Grant ^ 
Sunrise : A Story of These Times 

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Sunshine and Roses ; or, Diana’s 
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Surgeon’s Daughters, The. By 
Mrs. Henry Wood. A Man of 
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Surgeon’s Daughter, The. By 

Sir Walter Scott 10 

Sweet is True Love. By “ The 

Duchess ” 10 

Sworn to Silence; or. Aline 
Rodney’s Secret. By Mrs. 
Alex, McVeigh Miller 20 


Taken at the Flood. Bv Miss 

M. E. Braddon ' 20 

Tale of the Shore and Ocean, A. 

By William H. G. Kingston.. 20 
Tale of Two Cities, A. By 

Charles Dickens 20 

Talk of the Town, The, By 

James Payn 20 

Terrible Temptation, A. By ’ 

Chas. Reade 20 

Thaddeus of Warsaw, By Miss 

Jane Porter 20 

That Beautiful Wretch. Bj' 

William Black 20 

“That Last Rehearsal,” and 
Other Stories. Bj’ “ The 
Duchess” 10 


281 

20 

158 

20 

20 436 

145 

20 

673 

20 

610 

20 

20 53 

50 

20 

10 686 

10 

524 

20 

S3 

20 

592 

10 511 

20 

550 

20 467 

10 

71 

10 

20 222 

20 21 

10 250 

20 

10 277 

10 

363 

10 

123 

20 

316 

20 

20 550 

117 

10 

77 

10 

343 

10 

213 

20 

20 696 

10 49 

20 136 

20 

ai) 


V35 L 

736 Ro) 

737 Aunt 

Murj 

738 In the u 

Lyall . . 

739 The Cage 

M. Yonj: 

740 Rhona. B. 

741 The Heiret 

The Rom 
Girl. By Ci 
author of 

742 Love and I 

M. Yonge.. 

743 Jack’s Courts 

Russell. Is 

743 Jack’s Courtsh 

Russell. 2d i 

744 Diana Carew; 

an’s Sake. I' 

The foregoing t 
are for sale by all 
receipt of price, 
dress 


r. O, Pox 375J, 


in 


ib 



-M»r' 


i’-tjs; 

:C (U, 

St i ' lir Mi: 
•n ;-f' ,• 

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UY GIFT, 

i ' - ^ r 

t 

-lice, $1.00. 

-.■.Ill yrt 


\ 

^U New ToiiiK^ 


✓ 


JUST ISSUED. 


JUST ISSUED 


JULIET CORSON’S 

NEW FAMILY GOOK BOOK. 

BY MISS JULIET CORSON, 

Author of “ Meals for the Million,” etc., etc. 
Superintendent of the New York School op Cookery. 


FEICE; HAITSSONELY BOUND IN CLOTH, $1.00. 

A COMPREHEKSIYE COOK BOOK 

For Family Use in City and Country. 

CONTAINING 

PRACTICAL RECIPES AND FULL AND PLAIN DIREC- 
TIONS FOR COOKING ALL DISHES USED 
IN AMERICAN HOUSEHOLDS. 

The Best and Most Economical Methods ol Cookinigr Meats, Fish, 
Vegetables, Sauces, Salads, Puddings and Pies. 

How to Prepare Relishes and Savory Accessories, Picked-up Dishes, 
Soups, Seasoning, Stiifling and Stews. 

How to Make Good Breail, Biscuit, Omelets, Jellies, Jams, Pan- 
cakes, Fritters and Fillets. 


Miss Corson is the best American writer on cooking. All of her recipes 
have been carefully tested in the New York School of Cookery. If her direc- 
tions are carefully followed there will be no f^ures and no reason for com- 
plaint. Her directions are always plain, very complete, and easily followed. 

Juliet Corson’s New Family Cook Book 

Is sold by all newsdealers. It will be sent, postpaid, on receipt of price: 
handsomely bound in cloth, $1.00. Address 

GEORGE MUNRO, 

Munro’s Publishing House, 

P. O. Box 8751. 17 to 27 Vandewater St., N. Y. 


TNF niRTunrriuiLi7ATinM« A Message. FROM theSEAI^ 



PEARS’ SOAP IMPROVES THE COM- 
PLEXION, IS UNRIVALED AS A PURE DE- 
LIOHTFUL TOILET SOAP, A ND IS FOR SALE 
THROUGHOUT THE CIVILIZED WORLD. 



The Hew York Fashion Bazar. 

THE BEST AHEBICAN HOl^E KA&AZINE. 

Price fi5 Cents per Copy. Subscription Price $3.00 per Year. 


Among its regular contributors are Mary Cecil Hay, “ The Duchess,” 
author of “ Molly Bawn,” Lucy Randall Comfort, Charlotte M. Braemb, 
author of “ Dora Thorne,” Mrs, Alex. McVeigh Miller, Mary E. Bryan, 
author of “ Manch,” and Florence A. Warden, author of “ The House on the 
Marsh.” 


COMMENTS OF 

The New York Fashion Bazar aims 
to give full information of what ladies 
and children should wear, and, from 
the space devoted to the matter, both 
pictorially and descriptively, we would 
suppose it succeeds. There is also a 
considerable amount of miscellaneous 
reading matter, especially of fiction. 
(Publi^ed by Gleorge Munro, New 
York City, $3.00 a year.) — United 
Presbyterian. 

The New York Fashion Bazar for 
this month, Gleorge Munro, publisher, 
is on our table, and an interesting 
number it is to the women of the land 
who have their spring costumes to 
make up. This magazine is standard 
and the best authority on matters of 
fashion. — Baptist Reflector. 

The current number of The New 
York Fashion Bazar, published by 
George Munro, New York, is an illus- 
trated library, as it were, of fashions 
in every branch of human wear. The 
figures, forms, and fittings are almost 
bewildering even to those who possess 
a quick eye to the subject that is so 
widely fascinating. The colored first 
page of the cover is too attractive to 
such people to be resisted. The Fash- 
ion Colored Supplement forms the 
frontispiece to me present number. — 
New England Journal of Agriculture. 

We have received the last number of 
The New York Fashion Bazar, pub- 
lished by George Munro, New York 
City, the yearly subscription of which 
is only $3. Each number has a large 
colored fashion supplement, contain- 
ing New York and Paris fashions, and 
the book is full of illustrations of every 
conceivable article of ladies’ attire and 
descriptions how to make the same, 
beside^ serial stories and sketches and 
much miscellaneous matter.— Maine 
Farmer. 


THE PRESS: 

We have received the last number of 
The New York Fashion Bazar, and at 
a hasty glance we see it is an interest- 
ing magazine. Its fashions are useful 
to those ladies who do their own dress- 
making, or even decide how they shall 
be made, and its stories are fascinat- 
ing. What more can we say? Address 
George Munro, 17 Vandewater Street, 
N. Y. — Worcester [Mass.] Chronicle. 

The New York Fashion Bazar, pub- 
lished by George Munro, is full of fash- 
ions and reading. It seems to be very 
full, and to be well adapted to the end 
sought. The yearly subscription is 
$3.00, or 25 cents a number. It is very 
large, containing seventy-four pages, 
large size. — Wilmington Morning 
Star. 

The New York Fashion Bazar con- 
tains an attractive variety of literary 
entertainments, stories, poems, sketch- 
es. etc., in addition to the display of 
ladies’ fashions which are its chief 
study. These are set forth with an 
array of pictures and descriptions 
which should leave nothing to doubt 
regarding the newest styles. The se- 
lection of embroidery patterns offers a 
tempting choice for artistic tastes. 
New York: George Mimro. — Home 
Journal. 

The New York Fashion Bazar, with 
supplement, is one of the most inter- 
esting and ornamental periodicals that 
have reached the Herald office. It is 
issued by the publisher of the Fireside 
Companion and Seaside Library . — 
Chicago Herald. 

The New York Fashion Bai^r, pub- 
lished by George Munr*, for this month, 
is a marvel of beauty and excellence. 
It is full of entertaining reading, and 
of the newest and most fashionable 
pdfterns and designs. It must be se^n,'.; 
to be appreciated.--C7iwrc/i Press. 


The New York Fashion Bazar is for sale by all newsdealers, price 25 cents 
per copy. Subscription price $3.00 per year. Address 

GEORGE MUNRO, Miiiiro’s Publishing House, . 


P. O. Box 3751. 


17 to 27 Vandewater Street, N. Y. 


THE CELEBRATED 


SOIMER 


GRAND, SQUARE AND UPRIGHT PIANOS. 


FIRST PRIZE 

DIPLOMA. 


Cetftennlai Exhibi- 
tion, 1876; Montreal, 
1881 and 1882. 


The enviable po- 
iiftition Sohmer & 
Co. hold among 
American Piano 
Manufacturers is 
solely due to the 
merits of their in- 
struments. 



They are used 
in Conservato- 
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The SOEAISE 
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ARE AT PRESENT THE MOST POPUIiAR 

AND PREFERRED BY THE LEADING ARTISTS. 

SOHMER & CO., Manufacturers, No. 149 to 155 E. 14th Street, N. Y. 


6,000 MILES 


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IT TBAVERSE8 THE MOST DESIRABLE PORTIONS OF 

ILLINOIS, IOWA, NEBRASKA, WISCONSIN, MINNESOTA 
DAKOTA AND NORTHERN MICHIGAN. 


THE POPULAR SHORT LINE 


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ALL AGENTS SELL TICKETS VIA THE NORTH-WESTERN. 


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R . S. H A I R, General Passenuer Aeent. nilCAGO, ILI,. 










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